Low-dose radiation on spinal cord might be a new therapy for intractable chronic cancer and non-cancer pain
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Intractable chronic pain is a great challenge in clinic. Central sensitization based on the positive changes of dendritic spines is the main mechanism of intractable chronic pain. And low-dose radiation has been proved to regulate the changes of dendritic spines negatively. Hence, we make a hypothesis that low-dose radiation could relieve cancer and noncancer pain through negatively regulating the shape and reducing the number and density of dendritic spines in the spinal cord. This method is supposed to be a new therapy for intractable chronic pain by expanding indication to non-cancer pain, translocating radiation site from where the tumor exists to special segments of spinal cord and keeping radiation dose at a low level. This therapy would be reliable for relieving non-cancer pain and supply more choices for relieving cancer pain.