Cancer pain

Pain in cancer may arise from a tumor compressing or infiltrating nearby body parts; from treatments and diagnostic procedures; or from skin, nerve and other changes caused by a hormone imbalance or immune response. Most chronic (long-lasting) pain is caused by the illness and most acute (short-term) pain is caused by treatment or diagnostic procedures. However, radiotherapy, surgery and chemotherapy may produce painful conditions that persist long after treatment has ended.

The presence of pain depends mainly on the location of the cancer and the stage of the disease.[1] At any given time, about half of all people diagnosed with malignant cancer are experiencing pain, and two-thirds of those with advanced cancer experience pain of such intensity that it adversely affects their sleep, mood, social relations and activities of daily living.[1][2][3]

With competent management, cancer pain can be eliminated or well controlled in 80% to 90% of cases, but nearly 50% of cancer patients in the developed world receive less than optimal care. Worldwide, nearly 80% of people with cancer receive little or no pain medication.[4] Cancer pain in children and in people with intellectual disabilities is also reported as being under-treated.[5]

Guidelines for the use of drugs in the management of cancer pain have been published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and others.[6][7] Healthcare professionals have an ethical obligation to ensure that, whenever possible, the patient or patient's guardian is well-informed about the risks and benefits associated with their pain management options. Adequate pain management may sometimes slightly shorten a dying person's life.[8]

  1. ^ a b Hanna M, Zylicz Z, eds. (1 January 2013). Cancer Pain. Springer. pp. vii & 17. ISBN 978-0-85729-230-8.
  2. ^ Marcus DA (August 2011). "Epidemiology of cancer pain". Current Pain and Headache Reports. 15 (4): 231–234. doi:10.1007/s11916-011-0208-0. PMID 21556709. S2CID 11459509.
  3. ^ Sheinfeld Gorin S, Krebs P, Badr H, Janke EA, Jim HS, Spring B, et al. (February 2012). "Meta-analysis of psychosocial interventions to reduce pain in patients with cancer". Journal of Clinical Oncology. 30 (5): 539–547. doi:10.1200/JCO.2011.37.0437. PMC 6815997. PMID 22253460.
  4. ^ Hanna M, Zylicz Z (2013). "Introduction". In Hanna M, Zylicz Z (eds.). Cancer pain. Springer. p. 1. ISBN 9780857292308. LCCN 2013945729.
  5. ^ Millard SK, de Knegt NC (December 2019). "Cancer Pain in People With Intellectual Disabilities: Systematic Review and Survey of Health Care Professionals". Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 58 (6): 1081–1099.e3. doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2019.07.013. PMID 31326504.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference WHO_1996 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference guidelines was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Randall was invoked but never defined (see the help page).