[Pain due to bone metastasis in hormonodependent cancer. Treatment by intrasellar injection of alcohol (author's transl)].

Pain due to bone metastasis in hormonodependent cancer (of the breast or the prostates more particularly) can be relieved by surgery directed at the endocrinic system. The most efficient techniques are hypophysectomies and hypophysiolysis (or neuroadenolysis). The intrasellar injection of alcohol through the transnasal-transsphenoidal route is a fairly simple procedure which can be carried out on such fragile patients without too much risk. The authors here report the first results obtained with this procedure in 12 pateints. Full sedation of pain is achieved in 30 to 40 p. cent of the cases. The duration of analgesia varies and pain frequently returns. One of the advantages of this procedure lies in the fact that such an injection may be repeated if necessary. The intrasellar injection of alcohol is but one of the many techniques available to practitioners working in the field of intractable pain.