Taguchi H, et al. - Researchers assessed immediate and short-term analgesia as well as long-term analgesia offered by intrathecal betamethasone (ITB) when given to relieve cancer pain. For 28 days, lumbar intrathecal administration of betamethasone 2 or 3 mg once a week was implemented in 104 cancer patients with opioid-resistant pain. The tools used to assess analgesic efficacy were a percentage pain reduction scale and a numerical rating scale, NRS. According to the most painful site of metastasis, two groups were defined: vertebral column and/or surrounding nerve plexus metastases (group A) and other metastases distal from the vertebral column (group B). ITB relieved pain in not only in the lower half but also in the upper half of the body. In group A vs in group B, significantly more patients showed a decrease in NRS scores 1 day after ITB administration. Overall, ITB offered analgesia for opioid-resistant cancer pain and could relieve intolerable pain from vertebral column and/or surrounding nerve plexus metastases.