RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Intrathecal cervical analgesia for cancer pain: a 12-year follow-up study in a comprehensive cancer center JF Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine JO Reg Anesth Pain Med FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd SP rapm-2023-104961 DO 10.1136/rapm-2023-104961 A1 Dupoiron, Denis A1 Bienfait, Florent A1 Carvajal, Gabriel A1 Seegers, Valerie A1 Douillard, Thomas A1 Jubier-Hamon, Sabrina A1 Delorme, Thierry A1 Julienne, Arthur A1 Pluchon, Yves Marie A1 Ribault, Nicolas A1 Nader, Edmond A1 Lebrec, Nathalie YR 2023 UL http://rapm.bmj.com/content/early/2023/11/16/rapm-2023-104961.abstract AB Background Intrathecal analgesia plays a key role for patients suffering refractory cancer pain. Nevertheless, intrathecal drug delivery systems (IDDS), requiring a cervical catheter tip implantation, have been poorly described in medical literature.Aims A monocentric retrospective follow-up study was designed to evaluate results of cervical IDDS for cancer pain.Patients and methods From January 2010 to December 2022, all intrathecal-treated patients were prescribed a combined intrathecal analgesics regimen through a catheter placed in the cervical vertebral canal. Post-implant assessment of pain was determined using a numeric rating scale (NRS). Patients were followed via day-hospital visits and telephone calls at least monthly. Pain scores were compared using the Wilcoxon’s signed rank test.Results Ninety-eight patients were included in this study; all received intrathecal treatments. Implanted patients suffered from severe pain (mean presurgical maximum numerical rating score 8.02±0.24 despite a mean 562.56±127.72 mg of oral morphine equivalent daily dose). Mean survival time after intrathecal treatment start was 208.48±67 days. Intrathecal drug delivery systems provided pain relief compared with initial pain score with a significant statistical difference after 1 week, 1 month, 2 and 3 months (p<0.01). A 50% reduction in initial pain level was achieved in 93% of cases during the first week of intrathecal implant.Conclusions Results suggest that long-term intrathecal treatment using a multidrug regimen for cancer-related pain through cervical intrathecal catheters was suitable and safe in our study population. We demonstrated a clinically and statistically significant pain reduction in patients using mainly a percutaneous lumbar approach.Data are available upon reasonable request.