cancer pain (rebecca kirch)

8/7/2019 Cancer Pain (Rebecca Kirch)

1/12

Taking Action to Control CancerPain

Rebecca Kirch

Associate Director, Policy

October 2008


2/12

Painkillers often hit the headlines

Rising use of painkillers taking

deadly toll

Prescription drug deaths

overtake those from street drugs

Las Vegas Sun (NV)


3/12

Stories of suffering pain patients

often dont

Many cancer patients forgopainkillers

Mon Sep 29, 2008 1:06pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)

Many Cancer Patients Receive Insufficient

Pain Management Therapy

ScienceDaily

09/09/2008


4/12

Pain Hurts Everyone

The answer to that old

question, does cancer hurt?Thats an easy one.

Yes.-- Leroy Sievers,

posted October 12, 2007


5/12

Cancer Pain: A Persisting Problem

Nearly all cancer pain CAN be relieved, but:

(1) Pain prevalence in cancer patients is consistently high:

64% advanced disease

59% active treatment, and

33% after treatment concludes

(2) One-third rate pain as moderate to severe, but fewer

than half receive adequate pain relief

(3) Pain burden is even greater in medically underserved

populations and treatment disparities exist

(4) Uncontrolled pain can devastate quality of life for

patients, survivors and their loved ones


6/12

National Cancer Information Center

Pilot Pain Project (2007)

Questions

(1) Experiencing

pain?

(2) Discussed with

doctor or

nurse?

(3) If so, what didthey do to help

you?

Findings:

Pain reported in 50%

of callers

Some did not raise

pain with doctor

Treatment

approaches varied


7/12

Pain Project Phase 2: Identify and

Quantify the Problem (2008)

Just over half the callers were experiencingpain, with nearly 60% rating it moderate orsevere

An overwhelming majority said they toldtheir healthcare team and felt they wereheard

But about two-thirds of those callers werenot getting adequate relief, rating their painas moderate or severe


8/12

Barriers to Pain Control

Fear, misperceptions and

confusion about addiction,

dependence, and pain medicines

Lack of knowledge and

reluctance among patients andloved ones

Insufficient training for

healthcare professionals

Concerns that prescribing will

trigger investigation, disciplinary

action, or criminal prosecution


9/12

Pain & Policy Studies Group Report Card

ACS Nationwide Pain ControlObjective

By 2015:

50 states & DC get at least a B

10 of those states get an A

This year, 33 states received at

least a B and 5 of those

received an A


10/12

National Pain Care Policy Act

(S. 3387/HR 2994)

Institute ofMedicine

Pain Conference and

Report

NIH Pain Research

Coordination

Healthcare

Professional Education

& Training

Public Awareness

Campaign


11/12

Helpful Pain Information at

www.cancer.org


12/12

cancer pain (rebecca kirch)

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