Cancer Pain: Advances in Pathophysiology and Management
A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 July 2026 | Viewed by 903
Special Issue Editors
Interests: pain medicine; pain assessment; pain management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Cancer pain remains one of the most frequent and debilitating consequences of malignancy and is typically characterized by a multifaceted pathophysiology involving concurrent nociceptive, neuropathic, and often nociplastic mechanisms, constituting a paradigmatic form of mixed pain. Its biological underpinnings arise from tumor-induced tissue destruction, the release of pro-inflammatory mediators, nerve infiltration or compression, and treatment-related neurotoxicity. Emerging evidence further underscores the pivotal role of tumor–neuron–immune interactions, including cytokine-mediated sensitization and bidirectional neuro-immune signaling, in driving both peripheral and central sensitization. Optimal management, therefore, necessitates a mechanism-oriented, multidisciplinary strategy that integrates pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. Opioids and NSAIDs remain the foundation for moderate-to-severe cancer pain, complemented by the rational use of adjuvants such as gabapentinoids, antidepressants, corticosteroids, bisphosphonates, and other anti-resorptive agents. For refractory or anatomically complex presentations, interventional procedures, including targeted nerve blocks, neuromodulation techniques, and vertebral augmentation, offer additional therapeutic value. Early, systematic assessment and individualized multimodal care plans are essential to enhance analgesic efficacy, reduce treatment-related harms, and preserve quality of life. This Special Issue will highlight emerging insights and innovative approaches that may ultimately improve the management of cancer-related pain.
Prof. Dr. Giustino Varrassi
Dr. Matteo Luigi Giuseppe Leoni
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- cancer pain
- mixed pain
- pathophysiology
- sensitization
- multimodal analgesia
- interventional management
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