Pain acceptance in cancer patients with chronic pain in Hunan, China: A qualitative study

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the experiences of pain acceptance in Chinese cancer patients with chronic pain.

Twelve hospitalized cancer patients with chronic pain participated in this qualitative descriptive study from August to November 2017. In-person semi-structured interviews were conducted, recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-step method.

The following four main themes and 15 subthemes emerged. Theme 1 (adaptation): pain is overwhelming and pain relief is a top priority, avoidance of pain-inducing factors, and resignation; theme 2 (emotional reactions to pain): feeling misunderstood, hopelessness, frustration, irritability, and concern for loved ones; theme 3 (functional limitations): daily life activities, social communication, and work; theme 4 (coping strategies): pharmacological therapies, behavioral strategies, social support strategies, and spiritual strategies.

This study provides a description of cancer patients' experiences related to the need for pain acceptance. These findings provide insight into the essential role of pain acceptance and underline the need to apply acceptance-based cognitive behavioral interventions as adjunctive non-pharmacological alternatives for chronic cancer pain.