Welcome

Session

Description: Enduring pain without sufficient relief can be overwhelming and profoundly impact a patient’s quality of life, particularly among cancer patients, where pain prevalence has been reported as high as 44.5%. Whether resulting from the cancer itself or its treatments, pain can significantly disrupt a patient’s path toward recovery and remission. Notably, survivorship does not guarantee relief, as up to 10% of cancer survivors continue to suffer from severe chronic pain. Historically, patients have often required high doses of opioids, which can lead to intolerable side effects such as sedation and constipation, further diminishing quality of life. To address these limitations, the use of intrathecal drug delivery systems (IDDS) has increased substantially in recent years as a means to provide effective pain relief with fewer systemic side effects. However, integrating intrathecal pump therapy into clinical practice presents numerous challenges, particularly for cancer-related and treatment-induced pain. These include establishing referral networks, navigating logistical barriers, and optimizing IDDS management to ensure safe and effective therapy. In this session, we aim to equip clinicians with the tools needed to build a successful and sustainable IDDS program, highlighting practical strategies for implementation, educational resources for pain fellows, advanced practice providers (APPs), and registered nurses, and key considerations for delivering high-quality care to this vulnerable patient population.