SAN FRANCISCO — Pain is common in breast cancer patients—painkillers less so, according to results of an online survey.
In all, 65% of 335 breast cancer patients reported they suffered from pain during the course of their disease or treatment, yet 28% of the 218 patients reporting pain did not use an analgesic.
The top reasons given for lack of analgesic use were not having a recommendation for analgesic use from their health care provider (83%), fear of addiction or dependency (77%), and inability to pay for medication (74%), Dr. Charles B. Simone II and his associates reported in an award-winning poster at a breast cancer symposium sponsored by the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Some of those who reported pain but no analgesic use tried physical therapy (86%), massage therapy (8%), or other alternative measures for pain control, but still reported having pain on a regular basis, said Dr. Simone, a clinical fellow at the National Cancer Institute's Radiation Oncology Branch.
The findings highlight a need for additional education of health care providers on cancer pain evaluation and management, the investigators said. Clinicians should make pain management a priority, perform a standardized assessment of pain at every visit, and regularly discuss pain symptoms and pain treatment with breast cancer patients in order to break down the barriers to pain management, they suggested.
The survey was posted on the University of Pennsylvania's OncoLink Web site, the oldest and one of the largest online cancer information sources. Respondents were 97% female, 77% white, and predominantly educated beyond high school (82%). Of the entire cohort, 92% had undergone surgery, 74% had been treated with chemotherapy, and 62% underwent radiation therapy.
Acute or inconsistent analgesic use may be inadequate. Many breast cancer patients could benefit from analgesic use throughout the course of their disease and treatment, Dr. Simone and his associates suggested.
The researchers reported having no conflicts of interest related to the survey.
Acute or inconsistent analgesic use may be inadequate.
Source DR. SIMONE