Endoscopic Ultrasound-guided Celiac Plexus Neurolysis in the Management of Pain in Abdominal Non-pancreatic Malignancies

Celiac plexus neurolysis (CPN) has been performed for nearly 100 years to alleviate the abdominal pain associated with pancreatic malignancy and other conditions, and is usually undertaken at a late stage in the disease process, when analgesic options have been largely exhausted or have led to significant and often unacceptable side effects. Until recently, CPN was most commonly performed under radiographic guidance; however, in the last 10 years, CPN has been routinely performed under endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guidance. Several case series have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of this technique when used to treat the pain associated with pancreatic malignancy and/or chronic pancreatitis. However, the efficacy of EUS-guided CPN in the treatment of pain related to non-pancreatic malignancies has yet to be described. The goal of this study is to assess the efficacy of EUS-guided CPN in the management of pain in patients with abdominal non-pancreatic malignancies. Our hypothesis is that EUS-guided CPN will provide adequate pain relief in these patients.