New developments in cancer pain therapy

This review will summarize some of the potentially useful new drugs and therapies, which have already been applied in clinical practice or will potentially become available for cancer pain management in the near future. Included will be an introduction to drugs, which effectively relieve the breakthrough pain, a group of new sustained release long-acting opioids, Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs), alpha-2 agonists, ion channel blockers, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists, and new delivery systems.