New Cancer Breakthrough Pain Management

Written by Marijke Durning, RN

For many people, cancer pain is extremely difficult to manage. While there are many medications  that can help, often the pain will appear in between doses, before the next dose is scheduled. This is called breakthrough pain. Doctors and nurses have tried many things to manage the breakthrough pain, but not all methods are successful for all people.

Fentanyl is an opioid medication that is often used in treating cancer pain. Most people who know what fentanyl is know it as a patch that is worn on the skin. The medication is then absorbed through the skin over a 3-day period. It is also available in an oral version.

In Europe, doctors have another version of fentanyl, called Instanyl. It’s a nasal spray form of the medication that has been found to be quite effective in managing breakthrough pain. In July 2009, it was approved in for use in adults.

In a study presented at the European Federation of Chapters of the International Association for the Study of Pain (EFIC), researchers demonstrated that in one quarter of patients who took the nasal spray experienced pain relief after five minutes compared with only 7% of those who took the oral form. More than half (51%) experienced meaningful pain relief 10 minutes after taking the spray, compared with 10% of those who took the oral form.

If someone is experiencing pain, minutes are long, very long. By providing quick, effective pain relief, this spray could be a big advantage for many people. Pain relief allows patients to move about, helping their overall physical and mental health.