One in five cancer survivors have pain

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Jan. 15 (UPI) -- Twenty percent of cancer survivors may be experiencing cancer-related chronic pain two years after diagnosis, U.S. researchers said.

The survey of nearly 200 cancer survivors, conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor, also indicated the pain experience was worse for blacks and for women. The most significant source of pain was cancer surgery in whites and cancer treatment in blacks.

The survey, sponsored by the Lance Armstrong Foundation, indicated blacks with pain had higher pain severity, more concern about harmful pain treatment side effects and greater pain-related disability. Women had more pain flares than men, more disability due to pain and were more depressed because of pain.

The study, published online ahead of print in Cancer, suggested patient and physician knowledge/attitudes may lead to poor pain management. For example, worries about painkiller side effects may lead patients and their doctors to minimize pain complaints.

"All in all, the high prevalence of cancer and pain and now chronic cancer pain among these survivors, especially blacks and women, shows there's more work to be done in improving the quality of care and research," Dr. Carmen Green, the study author, said in a statement.