Comprehensive "4-step analgesic ladder" therapy in treating cancer-related pain-analysis of 486 cases]

This analysis indicated that patients with cancer-related pain account for 71.0% in author's material. After the TCM treatment, the effective rate were 91.6% in hepatocarcinoma-related pain; 86.1% in colon-rectal cancer-related pain; 68.2% in malignant lymphoma-related pain; 100% in irradiation-related pain of esophageal cancer, lung cancer, post-operative breast cancer. Results of "four-step analgesic ladder" showed that 52.1% of pain could be relieved by Step I (TCM therapy); if Step II (indomethacin) or III (phenylbutazone) was added, the rate of pain relief reached as high as 96.5%; and only 3.5% need to be treated by Step IV (Opioids). With less side-effects and addiction of opioids and other narcotics, the "four-step analgesic ladder" therapy seems to be more suitable for cancer pain relief in China.