Assessment and classification of cancer pain

Hjermstad et al.
Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care 3(1) March 2009
ISSN: 1751-4258 • Frequency: 4/year • Subscribe Now

About 90% of cancer patients experience pain at some point during their illness. A recent review on cancer pain presented pooled prevalence rates from 33% after curative treatment to 64% in patients having advanced disease, with one-third overall rating their pain as moderate or severe. These unacceptably high prevalence rates exist in spite of great medical, pharmacological and technological advances, supplemented by the increased interest in pain assessment methods. However, the plethora of assessment tools developed through the last 2 decades does not seem to overcome the single most important barrier to optimal pain management - inadequate pain assessment.

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