Introduction: Recent advances in cancer therapy have enabled long-term survival even in patients with advanced disease; however, chronic postoperative pain and other long-term treatment-related adverse effects have emerged as new challenges. Here, we report a case in which spinal cord stimulation (SCS) was introduced for post-thoracotomy pain syndrome (PTPS) following thoracic malignancy surgery, successfully achieving pain relief and opioid dose reduction in a patient with established opioid dependence. Case: The patient, a 32-year-old woman, developed persistent neuropathic pain after surgery. Some pharmacologic therapies were ineffective, leading to increased opioid use and eventual dependence. Following SCS implantation, pain improved with marked improvement in activities of daily living. Conclusion: SCS represents an effective option for intractable pain such as PTPS and may contribute to improved quality of life and reduced opioid reliance in cancer survivors.

Purpose: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a nursing intervention program to promote cancer pain self-management for outpatients using a non-randomized controlled trial. Methods: An intervention group underwent 3 sessions of the intervention program. The primary outcome measured was pain intensity (Japanese brief pain inventory [BPI-J]), and the secondary outcomes included the influence of pain on daily life, the effectiveness of pain relief treatment (BPI-J), quality of life (12-item short-form health survey [SF-12]), self-efficacy (pain self-efficacy questionnaire [PSEQ]), and psychological stability (hospital anxiety and depression scale [HADS]). Results: The data from 19 participants in the control and 16 in the intervention groups were analyzed. A comparison of changes in pain intensity before and after the study showed no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups. However, there was a statistically significant difference in the SF-12 role physical, with a decrease in the control group and an increase in the intervention group ( P=0.020). Conclusion: The only significant difference in the amount of change was found in the SF-12 role physical, and the intervention effect of this program could not be clarified. The reason for this was that the number of subjects was less than the sample size.

This study investigated the psychological impact of autopsy imaging (Ai) on bereaved families of patients with terminal cancer. These patients, one with pancreatic cancer of the body and tail and the other with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, underwent Ai, and a mixed-methods survey was conducted with 7 bereaved family members using a self-administered questionnaire. Although the awareness of Ai was low (14.3%), all participants reported that Ai helped them understand the cause of death. Moreover, 71.4% felt that Ai was necessary. Qualitative analysis of free-text responses suggested that Ai contributed to a clearer understanding and acceptance of the cause of death and provided psychological reassurance. On the other hand, it became evident that the implementation of Ai could evoke emotional conflict and complex feelings in bereaved families. Therefore, confirming the patient’s wishes and providing psychological support to both the patient and their family are essential when conducting Ai. In the future, it will be essential for medical professionals to carefully explain the purpose and significance of Ai during advance care planning discussions, and to consider its implementation while respecting the wishes of both the patient and their family.