PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To review strategies to optimize the management of chronic pain in patients with cancer, with an emphasis on the role of opioid analgesics. DATA SOURCES Published research, articles from a literature review, and U. S. statistics. DATA SYNTHESIS Treatment for cancer pain remains suboptimal. With the therapies currently available, as much as 90% of cancer pain can be contro...

The high prevalence of pain in the cancer population underscores why pain management is integral to comprehensive cancer care. How well pain is controlled can have a profound effect on the cancer experience for both patient and family. The goals of pain assessment are to prevent pain if possible, and to identify pain immediately should it occur. This can be facilitated by standardized screening...

The high prevalence of pain in the cancer population underscores why pain management is integral to comprehensive cancer care. How well pain is controlled can have a profound effect on the cancer experience for both patient and family. The goals of pain assessment are to prevent pain if possible, and to identify pain immediately should it occur. This can be facilitated by standardized screening...

Little is known about pain among long-term adult survivors of childhood cancers. The study investigated pain prevalence in this population compared with sibling controls and examined pain-related risk factors. Three self-reported pain outcomes including pain conditions, prescription analgesics used, and pain attributed to cancer and treatment were assessed among 10,397 cancer survivors and 3034...

Cancer patients experience pain in multiple sites and from several pathophysiologies of the symptom complex. The fluctuating nature of cancer pain intensity is a relevant clinical feature and depends on disease patterns and pain mechanisms. Breakthrough pain is defined as episodes of pain that "break through" the control of an otherwise effective analgesic therapy. Traditional ways of classifyi...

BACKGROUND Recent basic science research has greatly added to our knowledge of pain mechanisms. Application of this knowledge to cancer pain syndromes has led to new and innovative approaches to cancer pain management. METHODS The mechanisms involved in the three main cancer pain syndromes (somatic, visceral, and neuropathic) are reviewed, and various therapeutic options are discussed. RESU...

Pain is a prevalent symptom affecting as many as 50% of community-dwelling older adults. Pain affects quality of life, functional status, cognition, mood, sleep, and well-being. A multimodal approach to pain management consists of both non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic interventions. Prescribing analgesics is safe and effective in older persons if done judiciously by starting low and titratin...