Cervical cordotomy for cancer pain

There is a growing interest in percutaneous cervical cordotomy as an effective pain relief procedure in the UK because of an expected increase in mesothelioma cases. Various publications and manuals have recommended access to cordotomy services for selective indications with difficult to control cancer pain syndromes. Cordotomy is very effective as a palliative pain control procedure for unilateral medically refractory cancer pain below the 4th cervical dermatome. Essentially cervical cordotomy means radiofrequency ablation of spinothalamic tracts on the side contralateral to medically...

There is a growing interest in percutaneous cervical cordotomy as an effective pain relief procedure in the UK because of an expected increase in mesothelioma cases. Various publications and manuals have recommended access to cordotomy services for selective indications with difficult to control cancer pain syndromes. Cordotomy is very effective as a palliative pain control procedure for unilateral medically refractory cancer pain below the 4th cervical dermatome. Essentially cervical cordotomy means radiofrequency ablation of spinothalamic tracts on the side contralateral to medically refractory cancer pain.