Pharmacological Management of Cancer Pain: Advances in Treatment Strategies and Drug Delivery Systems

Cancer pain seriously damages the quality of life of patients, and its management urgently needs new strategies with both efficacy and safety. This review deeply analyzes the clinical limitations of WHO’s third-order analgesic strategy in cancer pain management, especially emphasizes the unique value of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine in synergy and reduction in adverse reactions, and summarizes the network interaction of related drugs through the regulation of multi-target analgesic mechanisms such as inflammatory factors, ion channels, neurotransmitters, and even glial cells and osteoclast activity in the tumor microenvironment. Building on this foundation, the article systematically analyzed the clinical advantages and limitations of drug delivery systems (DDS): oral sustained and controlled drug delivery system, mucosal drug delivery system (MDDS), transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS), and intrathecal targeted drug delivery (ITDD) in the treatment of cancer pain for the first time. The development prospects of new DDS: microneedles, disposable intrathecal drug delivery, and nano-drug delivery system (NDDS) in cancer pain were summarized in detail. Looking ahead, research into the analgesic mechanisms of drugs holds promise for providing a theoretical foundation for cancer pain management. Collaborative strategies integrating Chinese and Western medicine, coupled with precision delivery technologies, are expected to advance more efficient and safer pain control, offering new approaches and methods for achieving superior pain management outcomes.