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Review
. 2018 May;68(3):182-196.
doi: 10.3322/caac.21453. Epub 2018 Mar 30.

Optimal pain management for patients with cancer in the modern era

Bethann M Scarborough  1 , Cardinale B Smith  2   3
Affiliations
Review

Optimal pain management for patients with cancer in the modern era

Bethann M Scarborough et al. CA Cancer J Clin. 2018 May.

Abstract

Pain is a common symptom among patients with cancer. Adequate pain assessment and management are critical to improve the quality of life and health outcomes in this population. In this review, the authors provide a framework for safely and effectively managing cancer-related pain by summarizing the evidence for the importance of controlling pain, the barriers to adequate pain management, strategies to assess and manage cancer-related pain, how to manage pain in patients at risk of substance use disorder, and considerations when managing pain in a survivorship population. CA Cancer J Clin 2018;68:182-196. © 2018 American Cancer Society.

Keywords: addiction; adjuvant; cancer; opioid; pain assessment; pain management.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interests

Dr. Smith has received honorarium from Teva. The other author has no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Modified World Health Organization Analgesic Ladder. NSAIDs indicates nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; PCA, patient-controlled analgesia. Reprinted with permission from the author from: Vargas-Schaffer G. Is the WHO analgesic ladder still valid? Twenty-four years of experience. Can Fam Physician. 201055:514-517.
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