• Ahmed M Raslan.
• Department of Neurosurgery, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. raslana@ohsu.edu
• Neurosurgery. 2008 Mar 1; 62 (3 Suppl 1): 226-33; discussion 233-4.

ObjectiveThe author presents data to support the continued need for ablative procedures, particularly cordotomy, in the management of cancer-related pain.MethodsFifty-one patients with cancer-related body or face pain were treated with computed tomography-guided radiofrequency ablation of the spinothalamic tract or trigeminal tract nucleus in the upper cervical region of the spinal cord. Forty-one patients underwent a unilateral cervical cordotomy, and 10 patients underwent a trigeminal tractotomy-nucleotomy. Three methods to assess patient pain were used: degree of pain relief, Visual Analog Scale, and total sleeping hours. The Karnofsky scale was used to measure the patient's level of function pre- and postprocedure.ResultsAfter surgical intervention, patients reported initial and 6-months follow-up pain relief as 98 and 80%, respectively.ConclusionComputed tomography-guided ablation of the upper cervical spinal cord is a safe and effective procedure to treat cancer pain involving the body or face. There remains a need for ablative procedures, in particular cordotomy, in the management of cancer-related pain.

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