A single 20-minute session of mindful breathing significantly reduced pain intensity, pain unpleasantness, and anxiety in adult cancer inpatients with moderate to severe pain, compared with a supportive listening control group. The randomized controlled trial at the University of Malaya Medical Centre enrolled patients with a pain score of 4 or higher on a 10-point scale. The findings suggest that brief mindfulness exercises can be integrated into routine cancer care to provide rapid, holistic benefits for pain management.
A man with severe rectal tenesmus caused by rectal carcinoma, whose pain was difficult to manage due to adverse effects from several medications, experienced reduced pain after a seven-day continuous subcutaneous infusion of ketamine combined with midazolam and dexamethasone. His self-reported pain scores improved, and his opioid requirements decreased. This is the first reported use of ketamine for rectal tenesmus.