ASCO: Implantable Pain Pumps Improve Cancer Patients' Quality Of Life, May Increase Survival Rate ORLANDO, FL -- May 21, 2002 -- An implantable pump that delivers pain medication in a slow-release fashion directly into the spinal fluid could greatly improve the pain relief, overall quality of life and survival for cancer patients living in pain, according to an international study completed at Johns Hopkins, the Medical College of Virginia and 25 other medical centers. Researchers studied more than 200 people with a variety of cancers - including lung, breast, prostate, colon and pancreatic cancers - whose pain broke through morphine or other opiate drugs; six were treated at Hopkins. Patients were randomly assigned to either receive an implantable pump delivering medications directly into the spinal fluid or to continue taking pain medicine by mouth. Results of the study, presented May 21 at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Orlando, Fla., revealed that at the end of the six-month study, 54 percent of the pump patients were living, versus 37 percent of those on medical management. In addition, patients on the pump had less pain and fewer side effects from pain drugs, including significantly less fatigue, less constipation or nausea, and improved mental status. [05/22/2002; Doctor's Guide] Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.