TY - JOUR

T1 - Improvement of pain management in a comprehensive cancer center

T2 - a comparison of two cross-sectional studies 8 years apart

AU - Sørensen, Jonas

AU - Sjøgren, Per

AU - Clemmensen, Stine Novrup

AU - Sørensen, Tanja Vibeke

AU - Heinecke, Katja

AU - Kurita, Geana Paula

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Context: In 2011, a multidisciplinary palliative team (MPT) was established at Rigshospitalet (DK) and a cross-sectional study in inpatients was carried out at the Departments of Oncology and Hematology. High symptom burden, high prevalence of pain (64%), and insufficient analgesic treatment were demonstrated. In 2019, a similar study was carried out. Objectives: This study compares prevalence of symptoms including pain and analyzes analgesic treatment of adult in-patients in a comprehensive cancer center. Methods: Two cross-sectional studies (May–Jun 2011; Feb–Sep 2019). Inclusion criteria: malignant diseases, age ≥ 18 y, able to understand Danish. EORTC QLQ-C30 and Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) were applied. Results: A total of 134 and 183 inpatients were included in 2011 and 2019, respectively. Differences in the two populations were seen; in 2019 more patients had advanced disease (P = 0.0096), lower performance status (P = 0.0028), and a palliative treatment plan (P = 0.0034). The prevalence of impairments and symptoms was high and similar in the 2 years with exception of severe pain (P = 0.0143) and neuropathic pain (P < 0.0001) which increased in 2019. Moreover, pain relief significantly improved, and significantly fewer patients with pain were left untreated. Significant increase in opioid and adjuvant analgesic prescription in 2019. Conclusion: An overall unchanged high symptom burden was observed. However, improvement of pain management was observed in 2019. The establishment of a MPT may possibly have contributed to improved pain management.

AB - Context: In 2011, a multidisciplinary palliative team (MPT) was established at Rigshospitalet (DK) and a cross-sectional study in inpatients was carried out at the Departments of Oncology and Hematology. High symptom burden, high prevalence of pain (64%), and insufficient analgesic treatment were demonstrated. In 2019, a similar study was carried out. Objectives: This study compares prevalence of symptoms including pain and analyzes analgesic treatment of adult in-patients in a comprehensive cancer center. Methods: Two cross-sectional studies (May–Jun 2011; Feb–Sep 2019). Inclusion criteria: malignant diseases, age ≥ 18 y, able to understand Danish. EORTC QLQ-C30 and Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) were applied. Results: A total of 134 and 183 inpatients were included in 2011 and 2019, respectively. Differences in the two populations were seen; in 2019 more patients had advanced disease (P = 0.0096), lower performance status (P = 0.0028), and a palliative treatment plan (P = 0.0034). The prevalence of impairments and symptoms was high and similar in the 2 years with exception of severe pain (P = 0.0143) and neuropathic pain (P < 0.0001) which increased in 2019. Moreover, pain relief significantly improved, and significantly fewer patients with pain were left untreated. Significant increase in opioid and adjuvant analgesic prescription in 2019. Conclusion: An overall unchanged high symptom burden was observed. However, improvement of pain management was observed in 2019. The establishment of a MPT may possibly have contributed to improved pain management.

KW - Cancer

KW - Neuropathic pain

KW - Pain

KW - Palliative care

KW - Quality of life

KW - Symptom assessment

U2 - 10.1007/s00520-021-06614-x

DO - 10.1007/s00520-021-06614-x

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34652549

AN - SCOPUS:85117064885

VL - 30

SP - 2037

EP - 2045

JO - Supportive Care in Cancer

JF - Supportive Care in Cancer

SN - 0941-4355

ER -