Multidisciplinary management of cancer pain: a longitudinal retrospective study on a cohort of end-stage cancer patients

The epidemiology of cancer pain and the outcomes associated with pain treatments were investigated through a retrospective survey of 772 patients with advanced cancer. The cumulative prevalence of pain was 87%, including all types of cancer. Mean duration of pain was 6.9+/-8.1 months. The prevalence of pain was 28%, 46%, 67%, 75%, and 79% at 6 months, 3 months, 1 month, 1 week, and 1 day before the time of death, respectively. The so-called "strong" opioids had been used in 85% of the 669 patients with pain. Seventy-nine percent of patients with pain received nonsurgical antineoplastic treatment for pain control. No more than 11% of patients ultimately experienced substantial pain in the last 6 months of life (defined as pain score 5-10 on a 0-10 numeric rating scale). We conclude that the application of a multidisciplinary approach to pain management offers effective pain control for most patients with advanced cancer.