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[Contents]

Section II

Inadequate Pain Relief

Pain is prevalent among people who have cancer. Cancer patients may need pain relief at every stage of the disease. More than two-thirds of patients with advanced cancer will experience pain, often severe (5). For these patients, pain relief should be part of their overall treatment. For patients who have late stage cancer, the management of pain and other symptoms should be the primary aim of national cancer control programmes.

In 1996, the WHO Expert Committee on Cancer Pain Relief and Active Supportive Care (5) stated:

"In most parts of the world, the majority of cancer patients present with advanced disease. For them, the only realistic treatment option is pain relief and palliative care" (p. v).

Surveys suggest that more than 50% of cancer patients suffer unrelieved pain (6). Unrelieved pain can impair all aspects of a person’s life, including appetite, mood, self-esteem, relationships with others, and even the ability to move. In some countries, it has been reported that unrelieved pain can lead to the wish for death and inquiries about euthanasia and assisted suicide. Relief of pain has been demonstrated to improve quality of life.