Reality, Delays, and Challenges within Pain Prevalence and Treatment in Palliative Care Patients: A Survey of First-Time Patients at the National Cancer Institute in Mexico

Abstract

Background: Cancer is a major burden of disease and a public health problem, as it is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is estimated that 25% of cancer patients die without receiving proper pain management.

Objective: To acknowledge the epidemiological profile of first-time patients at the palliative care service of a referral center, along with the pharmaceutical treatment and social and familiar implications of the treatment costs in first-time patients.

Methods: A survey including 28 questions was conducted including 490 first-time patients at the National Cancer Institute in Mexico City.

Results: Median age was 53 years; 63.3% (n = 310) were females; 72% were married or single (50.5% and 21.2%, respectively). The most frequent diagnoses were gastrointestinal tumors, followed by urological, and skin/soft tissue carcinomas (19.8%, 12.5%, and 12%, respectively). Pain prevalence was 50.4% among the cohort. From the subgroup of participants with pain, 26.7% presented an intensity ≥7.

Conclusions: As most patients in our study presented pain, there is a need of strengthening public policy about opioid treatments.

Keywords: Mexico; opioids; pain management; palliative care.