title: Pain in cancer patients: pain assessment by patients and family caregivers and problems experienced by caregivers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pain is among the most important symptoms in terms of prevalence and a major cause of distress for cancer patients and their family caregivers. Thus, we conducted this study with the aim to compare assessment of pain among cancer patients and their caregivers and to determine the problems experienced by caregivers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional and descriptive design was used. This study was conducted in a chemotherapy unit and an adult oncology clinic with 220 patients diagnosed with cancer who admitted to an oncology hospital and 220 caregivers. The study data was collected using a questionnaire and visual analogue scale (VAS, where "0: no pain," "10: severe pain"). Statistically significant levels were set at p < 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pain severity as assessed by patients and their caregivers was 7.1 ± 2.8 and 7.3 ± 2.4, respectively, and the most common pain-related problems in cancer patients were fatigue (p < 0.05), loss of appetite and insomnia (p > 0.05) as reported by both patients and caregivers. Compared to their caregivers, patients more frequently reported financial burden associated with pain management and negative effects of cancer pain on their work life and domestic life and family relationships, all of which were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The caregivers most commonly reported fatigue (56.8%) in their role as a caregiver.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pain assessments of both patients and caregivers and seeking their input on how to manage potential pain-related problems are crucial to achieve adequate pain control. In addition, psychological distress experienced by caregivers should not be overlooked.
authors.affiliation: Gaziantep University, Faculty of Health Science, Gaziantep, 27310, Turkey, oucan@gantep.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Özlem
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Ovayolu
authors.forename: Nimet
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ovayolu
authors.forename: Sema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aytaç
authors.forename: Sibel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Serçe
authors.forename: Alper
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sevinc
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires