Pain is a common symptom of cancer that negatively affects quality of life. While approximately 80% of individuals with cancer-related pain experience relief with medication, 20% show limited response to pharmacological interventions and require access to alternative methods of alleviating pain.

The PAINLESS project will enhance our understanding of pain mechanisms and use a true interdisciplinary approach to improve pain management in palliative care programmes across Europe.

PAINLESS uses an evidence-based and innovative approach to investigate a novel, cost-effective, and home-based intervention to manage cancer-related pain using neuromodulation.

Funded through the EU’s ‘Horizon Europe: Framework Program for Research and Innovation’, PAINLESS seeks to reduce pain and improve the quality of life of individuals with cancer using neuromodulation – a non-invasive application of low frequency currents to increase or decrease the excitability of a group of neurons.  

Neuromodulation is applied using transcranial electric stimulation, where small electric currents are applied through electrodes placed on the scalp. Overtime, this method can modify the neural mechanisms associated with chronic pain and provide pain relief. Overall, transcranial stimulation is a non-invasive, well-tolerated, and safe procedure.

The PAINLESS consortium comprises over twenty institutions institutions from Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Switzerland and is coordinated by by Professor María Teresa Carrillo de la Peña from Universidade de Santiago de Compostela.

PAINLESS

Duration of the proiectului: 1 June 2022- 31 May2027

Project coordonator– HOSPICE Casa Speranței: Sorina Hașu, sorina.hasu@hospice.ro