Cancer Treatment Reviews
Volume 27, Issue 5 , Pages 305-312 , October 2001

Pruritus in cancer patients

  • V. Lidstone

      Affiliations

    • Princess Alice Hospice, Esher, Surrey, KT10 8NA, UK
    • ,
  • A. Thorns

      Affiliations

    • Pilgrims Hospice and East Kent NHS Trust, Margate, Kent, CT9 4AD, UK

References 

  1. Portenoy RK, Thaler HT, Kornblith AB. Symptom prevalence, characteristics and distress in a cancer population. Quality of Life Research. 1994;3:183–189
  2. Connolly CS, Kantor GR, Menduke H. Hepatobiliary pruritus: What are effective treatments?. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1995;14:277–284
  3. Schelmz M, Michael K, Weidner C. Which nerve fibres mediate the axon reflex flare in human skin?. Neuroreport. 2000;11:645–648
  4. Schmelz M, Schmidt R, Bickel A. Specific C-receptors for itch in human skin. J Neurosci. 1997;17:8003–8008
  5. Greaves MW, McDonald-Gibson W. Itch: the role of prostaglandins. Br Med J. 1973;3:608–609
  6. Krajnik M, Zylicz Z. Understanding pruritus in systemic disease. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2001;21:151–168
  7. Sheehan-Dare RA, Henderson MJ, Cotterill JA. Anxiety and depression in patients with chronic urticaria and generalised pruritus. Br J Dermatol. 1990;123:769–774
  8. Wahlgren CF. Measurement of itch. Seminars in Dermatology. 1995;14:277–284
  9. Vickers CF. Iron deficiency pruritus. JAMA. 1977;238:129
  10. Greene SL, Reed CE, Schroeter AL. Double-blind cross-over study comparing doxepin with diphenhydramide for the treatment of chronic urticaria. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1985;12:669–675
  11. Gilcrest BA, Rowe JW, Brown RS. Relief of uraemic pruritus with ultraviolet phototherapy. NEMJ. 1977;297:136–138
  12. Ebata T, Izumi H, Aizawa H. Effects of nitrazepam on nocturnal scratching in adults with atopic dermatitis: a double blind placebo-controlled crossover study. Br J Dermatol. 1998;138:631–634
  13. Pittelkow MR, Loprinzi CL. Pruritus and sweating. In:  Doyle D,  Hanks G WC,  Mac Donald N editor. Oxford Textbook of Palliative Medicine. 2nd edn. Oxford Medical Publications; 1988;p. 633
  14. Monk BE. Transcutaneous electronic nerve stimulation in the treatment of generalised pruritus. Clin Experimental Dermatol. 1993;18:67–68
  15. Bjorna H, Kaada B. Successful treatment of itching and atopic eczema by transcutaneous nerve stimulation. Acupuncture and Electro-therapeutics Research. 1987;12:101–112
  16. Smith EB, King CA, Baker MD. Crotamiton and pruritus. Int J Dermatol. 1984;23:684–685
  17. Bergasa NV, Alling DW. Assessment of the pruritus of cholestasis: an appraisal of the visual analogue score. Hepatology. 1990;12:887
  18. Breneman DL, Cardone JS, Blumsack RF. Topical capsaicin for treatment of haemodialysis related pruritus. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1992;26:91–94
  19. Lober CW. Should the patient with generalized malignancy be evaluated for malignancy?. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1988;19:350–352
  20. Goldman BD, Koh HK. Pruritus and malignancy. In:  Bernhard JD editors. Mechanisms and management of pruritus. New York: McGraw-Hill; 1994;p. 299–319
  21. Fransway AF, Winkelmann RK. Treatment of pruritus. Seminars in dermatology. 1988;7:310–325
  22. Leven A, Naysmith A, Pickens S. Sodium cromoglycate and Hodgkin's disease. Br J Med B. 1997;896
  23. Aymard JP, Lederlin P, Witz F. Cimetidine for pruritus in Hodkgin's Disease. Br J Med. 1980;280:151–152
  24. Weick JK, Dinovan PB, Najean Y. The use of cimetidine for the treatment of pruritus in polycythaemia rubra vera. Arch Intern Med. 1982;142:241–242
  25. Martinez C, Albet C, Agundez JA. Comparative in vitro and in vivo inhibition of cytochrome p450, CYP1A2, CYP2D6 and CYP3A by H2 receptor antagonists. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1999;65:369–376
  26. Zylicz Z, Smits C, Krajnik M. Paroxetine for pruritus in advanced cancer. J Pain Symptom Manage. 1998;16:121–124
  27. Paul R, Jansen C. Itch and malignancy prognosis in generalised pruritus: a 6 year follow-up of 125 patients. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1987;165:1179–1182
  28. Stoelting RK. Pharmacology and Physiology. Anaesthetics practice, 2nd edition. Philadelphia: Lippincott; 1991;
  29. Etches RC. Complications of acute pain management. Anaesthesiology clinics of North America: current concepts in acute pain control. 1992;417–433
  30. Larijani G. Treatment of opioid induced pruritus with ondansetron-report of four patients. Pharmacotherapy. 1996;16:958–960
  31. Chaplan S. Morphine and Hydromorphone epidural analgesia. Anaesthesiology. 1992;77:1090–1094
  32. Katcher J, Walsh D. Opioid induced itching: morphine sulfate and hydromorphone hydrochloride. J Pain Symptom Manage. 1999;17:70–72
  33. Davies CG, From R. A blinded study using nalbuphine for prevention of pruritus induced by epidural fentanyl. Anaesthesiology. 1988;69:763–765
  34. Glare P, Walsh TD. Dose ranging study of oxycodone for chronic pain in advanced cancer. J Clin Oncol. 1993;11:973–978
  35. Wang JJ, Ho ST, Tzeng JI. Comparison of intravenous nalbuphine infusion versus naloxone in the prevention of epidural morphine related side effects. Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine. 1998;23:479–484
  36. Cohen SE, Ratner EF, Kreitzman TR. Nalbuphine is better than naloxone for treatment of side effects after epidural morphine. Anesth Analg. 1992;75:747–752
  37. Borgeat A, Stirnemann HR. Ondansetron is effective to treat spinal or epidural morphine-induced pruritus. Aneasthesiology. 1999;90:432–436
  38. Jones EA, Bergasa NV. The pruritus of cholestasis. Hepatology. 1999;29:1003–1006
  39. Jones EA, Bergasa NV. Evolving concepts of the pathogenesis and treatment of the pruritus of cholestasis. Canadian J Gastro. 2000;14:33–40
  40. Wolfhagen FH, Sternieri E, Hop WC. Oral naltrexone treatment for cholestatic pruritus: a double blind placebo controlled study. Gastroenterology. 1997;113:1264–1269
  41. Twycross RG, Lack SA. Therapeutics in terminal cancer, 2nd edn.. 1990; p. 151
  42. Hagermark O, Wahlgren CF. Some methods for evaluating clinical itch and their application for studying pathophysiological mechanisms. J Dermatol Sci. 1992;4:55–62
  43. Szepietowski, J, C, Schwartz, R, A, Uremic pruritus, Demis, J, Clinical Dermatology, 26th edn. New York, Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
  44. Breneman DL, Cardone JS, Blumsack RF. Topical capsaicin for treatment of haemodialysis related pruritus. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1992;26:91–94
  45. Peer G, Kivity S, Agami O. Randomised crossover trial of naltrexone in uraemic pruritus. Lancet. 1996;348:1552–1554
  46. Balaskas EV, Bamihas HI, Karamouzis M. Histamine and serotonin in uremic pruritus: effect of ondansetron in CAPD-pruritic patients. Nephron. 1998;78:395–402
  47. Daly BM, Shuster S. Antipuritic action of thalidomide. Acta Dermato-vener. 2000;80:24–25

PII: S0305-7372(01)90231-2

doi: 10.1053/ctrv.2001.0231

Cancer Treatment Reviews
Volume 27, Issue 5 , Pages 305-312 , October 2001

Article Tools