Unit information: C2 Cancer Pain in 2011/12

Unit name	C2 Cancer Pain
Unit code	MEDIM3002
Credit points	15
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director	Professor. Forbes
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Health Sciences Faculty Office
Faculty	Faculty of Health Sciences

Description including Unit Aims

This module will be offered as a combination of distance learning and seminars held over two and a half days terms. Areas to be covered include the following: i) pathophysiology of pain in cancer and other endstage diseases, (ii) pain assessment and specific pain syndromes, (iii) opioid and non-opioid analgesics, (iv) adjuvant analgesics, (v) anaesthetic techniques, (vi) neurosurgical techniques and (vii) other interventional techniques.

Aims:

This unit aims to increase students’ understanding of the pathophysiology and presentation of pain in advanced disease and to familiarise them with developments and current research in this field.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Having completed this module students will be able to:

• discuss the physiological and pharmacological mechanisms of nociception

• choose appropriate tools for the measurement and assessment of pain

• discuss the pathophysiology of pain in advanced disease

• recognise specific pain syndromes occurring in patients with advanced disease

• explain the clinical pharmacology and clinical use of non-opioid and opioid analgesics adjuvant analgesics

• explain the rationale for and clinical use of non-drug measures such as physical techniques such as acupuncture, TENS, heat, massage anaesthetic techniques neurosurgery palliative surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy psychological and behavioural therapy

• be familiar with current developments in the treatment of pain.

Teaching Information

2 ½ study days

Lecture format Chaired discussion around student generated case histories ‘Current developments’ workshop

Assessment Information

Clinical presentation

Essay work - student generated title (2500 words)

Reading and References

Twycross R. Pain relief in advanced cancer. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingston, 1994

Hanks GW, Cherny NI, Christakis NA, Fallon M, Kaasa S, Portenoy RK. Oxford Textbook of Palliative Medicine 4th edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010.