title: Cancer pain: a review of epidemiology, clinical quality and value impact.
abstract: Cancer-related pain, reported by more than 70% of patients, is one of the most common and troublesome symptoms affecting patients with cancer. Despite the availability of effective treatments, cancer-related pain may be inadequately controlled in up to 50% of patients. With the growing focus on 'value' (healthcare outcomes achieved per dollar spent) in healthcare, the management of cancer-related pain has assumed novel significance in recent years. Data from initiatives that assess the quality of pain management in clinical practice have shown that effective management of cancer-related pain improves patient-perceived value of cancer treatment. As a result, assessment and effective management of cancer-related pain are now recognized as important measures of value in cancer care.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Newnan, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Nathan J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Neufeld
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Shereef M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Elnahal
authors.affiliation: Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Newnan, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Ricardo H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Alvarez
mesh_terms: D000072716:Cancer Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D017281:Cost of Illness; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: cancer-related pain; treatment value; value-based purchasing