Interventions for Cancer Pain Management

Types of Interventions Used For Cancer Pain Management

The World Health Center (1999) issued a report on the basic methods of pain management, noting that health service providers must work with the patient and family members to decide which pain management methods to use. This decision should be based on such factors as the stage of the cancer, the patient's age, response to pain and personal likes and dislikes. WHO (1999) states that the most often used cancer pain management methods are:

(1) Medication - This involves pain management with drug therapy. For mild to moderate pain, the drugs are often aspirin, acetaminophen, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). When discomfort lasts or increases, the doctor may add an opioid to aspirin, acetaminophen, or NSAIDS. If pain persists, the opioid potency or dose may be increased. Also, there may be some additional doses of drugs that can be taken as needed for pain that occurs between scheduled doses of drug.

(2) Physical Intervention - This method of pain management, according to WHO (1999) commonly involves treating weakness, muscle wasting, and muscle/bone pain with heat (such as a hot pack of heating pad) and/or with cold (flexible ice packs). Further, massage, pressure, and vibration can be applied to improve relaxation. Exercises can also help to st

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different etiologies and mechanisms of cancer pain. Prevalence data imply that the number of patients enrolled in methodologically sound trials of cancer pain relief is a tiny fraction of those receiving care. Relatively few subjects are enrolled per trial, and the total number of published randomized controlled trials relative to patients under care is much lower than for nearly all other high-impact, costly conditions. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2000, p.1). The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2001) still formulates several conclusions about diverse pain management techniques based on available findings. The Agency notes that while the number of controlled trials evaluating analgesic drugs for cancer pain are small, there is evidence of an opioid dose-sparing effect from co-administration of an NSAID but no consistent reduction in side effects from co-administration. Studies that address the effectiveness of NSAIDs were said to disclose a significant difference in analgesic efficacy between two NSAIDs. Moreover, research conducted comparing the effectiveness of NSAIDs versus "weak" opioids reveals no difference in analgesic efficacy between these two classes of agents. In terms of whether diffe
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Approximate Word count = 1297
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

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