Q: How do other medications factor into cancer pain treatment?

A: The number one treatment for patients with cancer who develop pain are the so-called analgesics, the nonsteroidals or the opioids. We always start with those first. The addition of other drugs, like antidepressants, anticonvulsants, or corticosteroids happens mostly when the painkiller alone is not able to control the pain. In most cases, the painkiller alone is effective. In general the studies have not shown that one painkiller is better than another. We, as patients, have different responses to one painkiller or another, but as a group you do not find differences between one painkiller and another.