Ketamine as an adjuvant to opioids for cancer pain management

ABSTRACT

The management of cancer patient's pain with ketamine as an adjuvant to opioids is presented in case reports of three patients with cancer-related neuropathic pain, in which pain proved untreatable with the usual conventional pain therapies. Ketamine was administered either by intrathecal or oral route, in addition to morphine and the pain was controlled successfully in these patients. No untoward side-effects were noted except drowsiness which responded to a reduction in the opioids dose