Pain management of cancer patients found to be inadequate

The first comprehensive study on the evaluation of cancer pain and related symptoms was recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Out-patients with invasive breast, prostate, colon, and lung cancers from 38 institutions were evaluated. A month-long assessment was conducted to assess pain levels and analgesic levels prescribed. Of 3,023 patients at risk for pain, 67 percent took analgesics and of those, 67 percent had adequate pain management. Minority patients composed one fourth of the total patients, and  the odds of a non-Hispanic white patient having inadequate treatment for their pain was approximately half that of a minority patient. Although no discrepancy for age or gender was noted however, cancer survivors were more likely to be inadequately treated as well. Cultural and communication differences, access to care, addiction and reluctance to admit pain, symptom management and access to patient education were among the reasons cited for the differences.