Patient-reported pain severity is associated with shorter survival in older adults with newly diagnosed cancer

Pain is a prevalent and often undertreated symptom among older adults with cancer. This study examined whether self-reported pain levels are associated with overall survival (OS) in older adults newly diagnosed with cancer receiving chemotherapy.

This retrospective cohort study included patients aged ≥ 65 years with newly diagnosed lung, colorectal, or breast cancer between 2017 and 2020, identified via a cancer registry at an academic medical center. Self-reported pain using the numeric rating scale (0-10), documented within 30 days of chemotherapy initiation, was categorized as none (0), mild (1-4), moderate (5-7), or severe (8-10). Baseline demographics, opioid use, and frailty (measured using a deficit accumulation approach) were collected. Kaplan-Meier was used to compare OS between groups. Cox proportional hazards models evaluated the association between pain levels and OS, adjusting for demographics, cancer stage and type, opioid use, and frailty.

Among 509 patients (median age 72.2 years; 55% female; 83.5% white; 13.4% Black), pain was highly prevalent: 16.5% reported mild, 19.6% moderate, and 17.3% severe pain. Median OS was significantly lower for patients with severe pain (9.1 months, 95% CI 6.5-12.7) compared to those with no pain (29.1 months, p < 0.0001). Severe pain (HR 1.60, 95% CI 1.14-2.24) and moderate pain (HR 1.52, 95% CI 1.10-2.10) were independently associated with higher mortality.

Self-reported pain was significantly associated with reduced OS in older adults with cancer. These findings suggest that self-reported pain may serve as a clinical indicator of poor prognosis and support the role of routine pain assessment in identifying high-risk patients to support patient-centered care.