Patient and caregiver perceptions of cancer pain control

This study measured the perceptions of cancer patients and caregivers in Utah concerning knowledge about and adequacy of pharmacologic cancer pain control.

A descriptive survey was sent to a stratified random sample of adult cancer patients obtained from the Utah Tumor Registry. Questionnaires asked cancer patients and caregivers about their knowledge of pain control and about perceptions of the adequacy of pharmacologic cancer pain management.

The study had a 52% response rate (259 of 500) after two mailings. Eighty-five percent (219 of 259) of the respondents stated that they had no cancer pain. With the first mailing, a "no pain" response was not offered as an option. When the researchers realized that this might be a possible response, a second mailing was sent, which may be the reason for the high response rate.

Cancer literature indicates that much cancer pain is not effectively controlled. The majority of the respondents of this study reported no pain. Because this result is different than that reported in the literature, it may indicate that education of healthcare providers, patients, and families can improve cancer pain management and control. It may also indicate an inability of the study to obtain data from those patients having cancer pain. This study should be repeated with a focused population of advanced stage cancer patients with types of cancer typically producing high levels of cancer pain.