Methadone in the treatment of bone pain in a patient with disseminated breast cancer

Abstract

Treatment of pain is an important element of therapeutic management in cancer patients. The article presents the case of a patient diagnosed with breast cancer, which spread to the liver and lungs and presenting with severe bone pain syndrome caused by lumbosacral metastases. Treatment of pain with non-opioid analgesics, opioids, analgesic adjuvants and palliative radiotherapy proved ineffective. The addition of small doses of methadone to the applied pharmacotherapy produced a satisfactory analgesic effect and a significant functional improvement (an ability to move around without increased pain) as well as ensured a better quality of patient's life.