Misery of cancer pain

Abstract

Cancer is one of the major causes of mortality and morbidity in the world. Pain is the most debilitating and exhausting symptom of the cancer. It also has deep and intense impact on patient’s quality of life. In advanced stages of cancer, the incidence of pain approaches up to 70–80%. Cancer pain can be effectively treated by expert hands. Strong opioids are the mainstay in the WHO analgesic ladder, specifically for cancer pain patients. Unfortunately, in most of the developing countries patients with cancer pain remains under-treated because of the non-availability of strong opioids. This situation is a real challenge for a pain physician. Regardless of all the knowledge and skill, provision of effective pain relief becomes an uphill task. This editorial is an attempt to highlight the plight of the cancer pain patients and the frustration of the treating physicians. We need to strengthen and upgrade our policies and protocols to provide comfort to cancer patients.

Key words: Cancer pain; Pain Management; WHO Guidelines; Opioids.

Citation: Mushtaq S, Waheed H, Ghafoor AUR, Bashir K. The misery of cancer pain. Anaesth. pain intensive care 2022;27(1):03−05; DOI: 10.35975/apic.v27i1.2130

Received: December 13, 2022; Accepted: December 24, 2022