Cancer-Induced Oxidative Stress and Pain

Cancer pain is a well-documented and prevalent healthcare problem, with current treatment strategies often failing to achieve acceptable efficacy. One of the major difficulties in treating cancer pain owes to the complex interplay between the cancer microenvironment, cancer therapy, and the body’s own responses to these biochemical changes. A better understanding of the molecular pathways of nociception that are activated during cancer progression and treatment is necessary for better pain management and increased quality of life. This article reviews the current research that implicates oxidative stress as an important target for attenuating cancer pain. Sources of oxidative stress are first established, followed by a discussion of the various pathways that are affected by oxidative stress and that ultimately cause cancer pain.