Title:Cancer-induced Pain Management by Nanotechnology-based Approach
Volume: 24
Issue: 11
Author(s): Somya Ranjan Dash and Chanakya Nath Kundu*
Affiliation:
- Cancer Biology Division, KIIT School of Biotechnology, KIIT (Deemed to be University), Campus-11, Patia,
Bhubaneswar, 751024, Odisha, India
Keywords:
Cancer-induced pain, analgesic drug, side effects, nanotherapeutics, sustained release, pain management.
Abstract: Cancer patients frequently report experiencing pain as one of their symptoms. Cancerrelated
pain is often caused by the tumor itself, especially when the tumor is pressing on nerves. In
addition to the pain caused by the tumor itself, patients also experience discomfort from the
treatment, such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and the diagnostic procedures. The
majority of today's pain therapies rely on opioid analgesics, which have not been shown to be
effective. The adverse effects of opioids and their addictive properties call for the development of
innovative treatment techniques. Nanotechnology offers answers to the issues raised above, which
are related to the utilization of more conventional modes of therapy. These nanotechnology-based
nanotherapeutics reduce the systemic toxicity, offering outstanding selectiveness and prolonged
release of the analgesic drugs at the target site. Thus, these reduce cancer-induced pain in the
patients. In this article, we will explain the mechanism behind the most common types of pain that
are caused by cancer, including neuropathic, somatic, and visceral pain. In addition, a
comprehensive discussion is held on the use of various nanotherapeutics as analgesic drug carriers,
as well as on their impacts and the potential opportunities that lie ahead in the field of cancer pain
treatment.
