Study presented at MASCC/ISOO Annual Meeting, Jun 24-26, 2021 about the communication of pain by cancer patients to their health care team

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@oncoguia
@luholtz
COMMUNICATING CANCER PAIN TO THE HEALTH CARE TEAM:
THE EXPERIENCE OF PATIENTS IN BRAZIL
Barros, LHC1; Siqueira, ACA1; Neumann, LTV1
1Oncoguia
email: pesquisas@oncoguia.org.br
Introduction
▪ Despite advancements in cancer pain management,
pain is a reality for many cancer patients undergoing
treatment and can led to decreased quality of life 1,2
▪ In Brazil, where access and resources are often
limited, pain treatment and management can be
overlooked by the health care team3
Methods
▪ Cross-sectional study – online survey
▪ Data collected April- July 2020
▪ Objectives: to identify and describe the impact of
pain on the life of cancer patients undergoing
treatment
Conclusions
Pain during cancer treatment was prevalent among the patient respondents. Our findings indicated that patients’
experienced pain was not controlled, and pain management and treatment was insufficient, suggesting further investments
and development in this type of care is needed. Patients also reported their pain to their health care providers and received
inadequate responses, which demonstrates a need for additional clinical training and awareness of pain management among
providers. Our research shows the significant role of a patient advocacy organization to spur action and change to improve
the quality of life of those living with cancer.
Funding
This research is part of the project “Greater Quality of Life for
Cancer Patients” funded by Mundipharma and Grunenthal.
References
1. Maxwell K. The challenges of cancer pain assessment and management. Ulster Med J. 2012;81(2):100–1.
2 Mercadaadequatnte S. The patient with difficult cancer pain. Cancers (Basel). 2019;11(4):565.
3. Lima et al. Pain evaluation in cancer patients admitted to a teaching hospital of the Northeastern region of Brazil.
Rev.Dor. 2013; 14(4):267-71.
Patient Characteristics:
83% female
66% 40 to 59 years old
45% cancer metastasis
Health System Access:
46% private
30% public , SUS
Results
Patient/Provider
Communication:
92% reported their pain to their
oncologists
72% reported their pain to other
health care professionals
78% were told by their health care
professionals that pain was a part of
their cancer treatment
Of 543 respondents, 386 (71%)
experienced pain during their treatment
185 patients described their experiences:
70% received pain treatment/management from their
oncologist; 43% reported their pain was not controlled
33% had considered abandoning treatment
44% felt their pain treatment/management was not
adequate
31% were dissatisfied or highly dissatisfied with the
pain treatment/management they received
45% reported experiencing pain for more than 1 year