General principles of management

Breakthrough pain is not a single entity, but a spectrum of very different entities. In most cases, the underlying cause of the pain is a direct effect of the cancer. There is emerging evidence to suggest certain oncological treatments may be effective in managing certain types of breakthrough pain. Optimal treatment of breakthrough pain depends on a variety of pain-related factors. Optimal treatment of breakthrough pain depends on a variety of patient-related factors. Avoidance or treatment of precipitating factors should be considered in patients with incident-type breakthrough pain. Movement-related/incident pain, secondary to metastatic bone disease, is a common phenomenon. Modification of the background analgesic regimen has been shown to be a useful approach in managing breakthrough pain. Multimodal approaches are often required. The cornerstone of the management of breakthrough pain episodes is the use of so-called rescue medication. The management of end-of-dose failure involves modification of the background analgesic regimen. The use of rescue medication depends on the type of breakthrough pain and acceptance depends on factors such as the route of administration of medication.