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CANCER PAIN FACTS
Facts About Cancer Pain
- It has been reported that as many as
9 million people suffer from cancer pain worldwide and an estimated 1.1
million in the U.S. suffer from cancer pain annually (Perumbetti, Prasad
M.D., May 27, 1992).
- The economic and social costs
of chronic pain are substantial, with estimates ranging in the tens of
billion of dollars annually (Consensus Statement from the American Academy
of Pain Medicine and American Pain Society, "The Use of Opioids for the
Treatment of Chronic Pain," 1997)
- Pain occurs in 20 percent to 50
percent of patients with newly diagnosed malignancies, 33 percent of
patients during the treatment of their disease, and in 75 percent to 90
percent of those with advanced cancer. (Grossman, Stuart A., Staats, Peter
S. Current management of pain in patients with cancer. Oncology, 1994)
- Fear of pain has been found to be so
important to cancer patients that 69 percent reported they would consider
committing suicide if their pain were not adequately treated (Levin, D.N.,
Cleeland, C.S., and Dar, R. Public attitudes toward cancer pain. Cancer,
1985).
- The causes of cancer pain are
attributable to the following causes: direct tumor involvement (approx. 67
percent); cancer treatment (approx. 23 percent); and unrelated causes such
as preexisting conditions like arthritis or diabetes (approx. 10 percent).
(Foley, K.M. Treatment of cancer pain. New England Journal of Medicine,
1985).
- Intrathecal Pain Therapy is an
effective part of the treatment continuum for cancer pain - providing
patients with effective pain relief with approximately 1/300th of a dose of
oral morphine compared with those taking oral analgesics, thereby minimizing
side effects, improving relief and increasing a patient's quality of life
(Lamer, Tim J., Treatment of cancer-related pain: when orally administered
medications fail. Mayo Clin Proc , 1994).
- Intrathecal Pain Therapy has been
show to be less costly that long-term therapy with an epidural catheter and
external pump system after three months of treatment (Bedder, Marshall,
Burchiel, Kim, Larson, A. Cost analysis of two implantable narcotic delivery
systems. J Pain Symptom Management, 1991).
- Five percent to fifteen percent of
patients with cancer pain will have inadequate control of pain with an
integrated program of systemic, pharmacologic, and anticancer therapy (Levy,
M.H., Pharmacologic treatment of cancer pain. New England Journal of
Medicine, 1996).
- According to the American Cancer
Society 1.4 million people are diagnosed with cancer every year.
- Twenty-five percent of patients with
cancer have inadequate pain relief at death.
- According to a recent study at M.D.
Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, unexpected hospital admission from cancer
pain costs the hospital an estimated $5 million a year.
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