Neurosurgical Invasive Techniques for Cancer Pain: A Pain Specialist's View.

Neurosurgical techniques for management of cancer pain can be divided into two categories: reconstructive and ablative. For patients with pain from spinal metastatic disease, the newer surgical methods of anterior decompression and stabilization provide reliable pain control while preventing serious neurologic progression. Minimally invasive techniques for vertebral stabilization, such as vertebroplasty, may also effectively relieve pain from spinal metastases associated with low morbidity.