Pain in older people with cancer: attitudes and self-management strategies

Cancer is predominantly a disease of older people. It is also frequently a painful condition. However, the ageing process brings with it any number of other painful conditions, so it can be difficult to quantify the number of older people who are in pain solely because of cancer. In this article, we present a review of the literature concerning issues specifically related to the management of pain in older people. Three main areas are considered: the use of analgesics; the attitudes of older people in relation to pain management and their utilization of pain management strategies. We suggest that although a great deal is known about the efficacy of analgesia, there is relatively little information relating to the subjective experience of older individuals as they engage with treatment processes. This is important because social, psychological and cultural factors can have a significant influence on the effective management of cancer pain in this age group.