Ketamine for Cancer and Pain Management plus our Free Webinar Series! – Journal Club

In today's episode, we delve into the emerging role of ketamine in managing cancer and chronic pain. Our discussion is anchored around a comprehensive review article titled "Ketamine Use for Cancer and Chronic Pain Management," published in Frontiers in Pharmacology on February 1, 2021. This review, authored by Clayton Culp, Hee Kee Kim, and Salahadin Abdi, explores ketamine's potential as an analgesic in chronic pain conditions, particularly cancer-related neuropathic pain. Key Points from the Review Article: - Mechanism of Action: Ketamine functions as an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, providing analgesic effects at sub-anesthetic doses. Its ability to counteract central nervous system sensitization makes it effective in opioid-induced hyperalgesia. - Clinical Efficacy: Recent studies highlight ketamine's potential to reduce pain scores and opioid consumption, offering a promising alternative for patients with refractory pain. - Safety Profile: At lower doses used for analgesia, ketamine's safety and adverse event profile are significantly improved compared to its use as an anesthetic. - Pharmacogenomics and Interactions: The article discusses how genetic variations can affect ketamine metabolism and highlights potential drug interactions that clinicians should be aware of.