Pain management issues for cancer survivors.
OBJECTIVE
The authors review issues that cancer survivors face daily related to pain management, the etiologies of pain in survivors, and ways to achieve successful pain management for cancer survivors.


BACKGROUND
The review includes a discussion of pain issues in the 6-month period after diagnosis and pain issues that may arise throughout survivorship. The authors describe a successful pain management program as including thorough and ongoing assessment, communication among the healthcare team members, interdisciplinary interventions, and reassessment of the whole management process. Various barriers to effective pain management are described.


CONCLUSIONS
It is hoped that this review may give members of the multidisciplinary cancer care team new insights into the issues encountered by survivors regarding pain and potential therapeutic techniques.
Lyne
Marjorie E
ME
Institutionalizing Effective Pain Management Practices, Virginia Cancer Pain Initiative, Richmond 23233, USA.
Coyne
Patrick J
PJ
Watson
Ashby C
AC
D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement