TY - JOUR AU - Gonella, Silvia AU - Conti, Alessio AU - Campagna, Sara T1 - Breakthrough cancer pain:
guida alla valutazione PY - 2019 Y1 - 2019-10-01 DO - 10.1702/3273.32397 JO - Assistenza Infermieristica e Ricerca JA - Assist Inferm Ric VL - 38 IS - 4 SP - 200 EP - 211 PB - Il Pensiero Scientifico Editore SN - 2038-1778 Y2 - 2026/04/08 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1702/3273.32397 N2 - Summary. Breakthrough cancer pain: A guide towards assessment. Although currently no universally accepted definition of Breakthrough Cancer Pain (BTcP) is available, BTcP can be defined as a transitory exacerbation of pain experienced by the patient who has relatively stable and adequately controlled baseline (background) pain. BTcP is highly prevalent in patients with cancer and usually needs treatments with opioids when pain flares up. However, its heterogeneous nature with variations between individuals and within a given individual over time may make assessment complex. Well-known algorithms such as Davies' s algorithm may be helpful to categorize patients as having BTcP but a further comprehensive clinical assessment is required. A successful management of BTcP may be achieved when healthcare professionals employ algorithms to screen the patients and then assess and frequently re-assess those identified as suffering from BTPc by using comprehensive and validated tools such as the Italian Questionnaire for Intense Episodic Pain (QUDEI), the Breakthrough Pain Assessment Tool (BAT) or the Alberta Breakthrough Pain Assessment Tool (ABPAT). This allows to provide the patient a tailored and therefore more effective treatment that reduces the intensity, severity and effect of each episode of pain. ER -