Cancer pain relief: an international perspective

This article describes several of the key efforts being undertaken to address cancer pain and its relief worldwide. Organizations that incorporate cancer pain relief as part of their mandates include the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Association for the Study of Pain, the International Union Against Cancer (UICC [Union Internationale Contre le Cancer]), the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care, the Wisconsin Cancer Pain Initiative, and the Oncology Nursing Society. This paper is not an exhaustive description of all of the efforts (individual and organizational) being undertaken to alleviate cancer pain worldwide but is instead an introduction to some of the activities. Readers who wish to enlarge the scope of their cancer pain relief efforts may benefit from reviewing this information.