Cancer-Related Pain

Published on 04/03/2015 by admin

Filed under Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine

Last modified 04/03/2015

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Cancer-Related Pain

Stuart A. Grossman and Suzanne Nesbit

Summary of Key Points

Major Presenting Symptom of Malignancies

• Cancer pain affects more than 30% of patients undergoing antineoplastic therapy.

• Moderate to severe pain occurs in more than 70% of patients during the later phases of their illness.

• Cancer pain significantly affects quality of life.

• Cancer pain is frequently managed poorly.

Etiology of Complication

• Cancer pain can be of nociceptive, neuropathic, or sympathetically maintained origin.

• Cancer pain can be a result of direct tumor involvement (70%), evaluation or therapy (20%), or illness unrelated to the malignancy (<10%).

Evaluation of the Patient

• Determining the etiology of pain is key to appropriate therapy.

• Pain should be treated aggressively during evaluation.

• The pain should be fully evaluated using a careful history, physical examination, and selected laboratory tests.

Grading of the Complication

• Measurements of pain intensity should be performed with use of validated pain assessment scales.

• Results should be recorded serially as an integral part of the medical record.

Treatment

• In 85% of patients, pain can be well palliated using simple, inexpensive, “low-technology,” oral analgesics.

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