Cancer Pain: Physical Factors affecting Pain Experience

Abstract

Background: Pain adversely affects cancer patients quality of life . Knowing different sources of pain helps physicians and patients to manage it. The aim of this study was investigating physical factors affecting pain in Iranian cancer patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study randomly enrolled cancer patients who were newly admitted to the Medical Oncology Department of Cancer Institute of Iran in 2013 . Patients divided in to two groups by questioning whether they have pain or not. Patients' demographic characteristics were collected from medical records. Multivariate Logistic Regression method was used to analyze results. Results: A total 269 subjects were included. 52.78% patients suffered pain. 69.72% of pain group and 54.33% of no-pain group were female and average age for the pain group was 49.59±13.57. There was significant difference at pain control of patients who “capable to work but with misery” and “able to conduct personal affairs” (OR: 9.60, 95% CI: 2.38-38.71 Р=0.00). Cancer treatment was a protective factor from pain experience (OR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.37-2.05 Р=0.76). 62.70% of pain group was in advanced stage; had 2.18-fold higher risk of pain compared to the patients who was in limited stage (CI: 1.02-4.65). Patients who took more pain-killer drugs had less control of pain (54.41%) (OR analgesic: 3.07, OR opium: 12.11 and OR multi drugs: 8.97). Conclusion: Although pain could be relieved in most cancer cases, more than 50% of our patients showed under-controlled pain. Understanding patients’ desires and past experiences of disease and collaboration of medical, radiation and surgical oncologists with palliative care nursing, psychological specialties in multidisciplinary teams is urgent to solve miss-treatment of cancer pain.