Control of pain in terminal cancer.
Many elderly patients with cancer neither expect nor seek good pain control. This stoicism often follows the experience of poor symptom control among relatives and friends in the past and may explain why the severity of pain may be underestimated by the clinician. In addition, when pain is identified, physicians may be apprehensive about the use of strong analgesic drugs and their side effects, so that pain control is poor. This paper describes the diagnosis, assessment, and management of cancer pain in the elderly and deals specifically with analgesic and other drugs for the control of pain. The methods described are effective in up to 87% of patients. Although side effects occur, they can be minimized by skillful prescribing, explanation and reassurance.
Hillier
R
R
Countess Mountbatten House, Southampton University Hospitals, UK.
D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000379:methods*
D000700:Analgesics; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid