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Supportive Cancer Care pp 111–126Cite as

Fundamentals of Cancer Pain Management

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Abstract

Pain is the most common and most feared symptom among cancer patients. At least 75 % of cancer patients will have significant pain, and the pain usually increases as the disease progresses and the end of life nears. While fatigue may be more common, and delirium and dyspnea near the end of life may be more bothersome to caregivers [1], pain is a common denominator in all of our conversations with cancer patients and their families. A meta-analysis of the prevalence of pain in cancer patients calculated rates of 33 % in patients after curative treatment, 59 % in patients undergoing cancer treatment, 64 % in patients with advanced/metastatic/terminal cancer, and an overall rate of 53 % [2].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Oncology and Medicine, Program for Palliative Care, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Blalock 369, Baltimore, MD, 21287-0005, USA

    Thomas J. Smith MD

  2. Departments of Oncology and Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Thomas J. Smith MD

  3. Departments of Oncology and Medicine, Harry J. Duffey Family Professor of Palliative Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Thomas J. Smith MD

  4. Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 338 Perry Cabin Drive, St. Michaels, 21663, MD, USA

    Joe O’Neil

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  1. Thomas J. Smith MD
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Correspondence to Thomas J. Smith MD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, AZ, USA

    David Alberts , Maria Lluria-Prevatt  & Karen Weihs ,  & 

  2. University of Arizona Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Stephanie Kha

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Smith, T.J., O’Neil, J. (2016). Fundamentals of Cancer Pain Management. In: Alberts, D., Lluria-Prevatt, M., Kha, S., Weihs, K. (eds) Supportive Cancer Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24814-1_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24814-1_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-24814-1

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