Optimal pain control in elderly cancer patients.

The optimal management of pain in the elderly cancer patient is founded on astute assessment of pain and other symptoms, development of a pain diagnosis derived from the clinical evaluation, treatment of underlying causes where possible, and the expert application of analgesic techniques. Analgesic techniques themselves are multimodal. Pharmacologic approaches are the mainstay, but an individual patient may benefit from the use of anesthetic, neuroaugmentative, surgical, physiatric, or psychological methods, as well. Guidelines for the assessment and integrated management of these patients are suggested, with specific emphasis on the use of pharmacologic therapy.