Physical, Emotional and Social Pain Communication by Patients Diagnosed and Living with Multiple Myeloma

Abstract

Aim: To describe physical, social and emotional aspects of pain self-reported by patients with multiple myeloma (MM), and patient–physician communication of physical pain. Materials & methods: We analyzed self-reported data from 330 adults receiving anti-MM therapy in Germany and Italy on health-related quality of life (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core-30 Questionnaire version 3, -MY20) and bone pain symptoms. Results: Patients experienced clinically important physical (69%), emotional (58%) and social (22%) pain. Less than three-quarters of physicians’ records matched patients’ perception of bone pain (71.5%), with bone pain not recorded in 19.7% of patients experiencing it. Nearly half of physicians underestimated bone pain severity. Conclusion: Patients with MM experience physical, social and emotional pain. Discordance regarding bone pain symptoms and severity was observed, suggesting the need for improved communication.

Real-world patient-reported outcomes and concordance between patient and physician reporting of side effects across lines of therapy in multiple myeloma within the USA

“…Similarly, a comparison of palliative care patient-reported EORTC QLQ-C30 with a proxy QoL questionnaire completed by physicians has illustrated that physicians’ perception of their patients’ HRQoL may be clinically different from the patients’ own assessment [ 34 ]. A study evaluating self-reported pain also showed a discordance between the perceptions of MM patients compared with physicians, with nearly half of physicians underestimating bone pain severity, possibly reflecting the lack of time, experience, and tools available to physicians to assess the full impact of symptoms on patients [ 35 ]. Furthermore, differences in patient and physician perspectives may also be influenced by patients’ level of health literacy, which can in turn be enhanced by improved patient-physician communication [ 6 , 32 , 36 ].…”

Medication adherence with denosumab in patients with bone metastases from solid tumors treated in routine clinical settings: a retrospective study

“…Despite adherence with denosumab being generally high across the initiation, implementation, and persistence phases, there is scope for adherence to be improved. Some potential strategies are summarized in Table 3 [35][36][37][38]. Strategies to improve medication adherence may reduce avoidable hospitalizations and improve patient quality of life, with resulting cost savings [39,40].…”

Total Pain and Fear of Recurrence in Post-Treatment Cancer Patients: Serial Mediation of Psychological Flexibility and Mentalization and Gender Moderation

“…In addition, associations between the particular dimensions of total pain and psychological outcomes have been found. For example, stronger physiological and psychological pain symptoms are associated with lower levels of physical, social, and emotional well-being among patients treated for cancer pain [13]; greater emotional and social pain are related to lower quality of life and increasing disease severity in hematological malignancies [14]; and more intense spiritual pain is related to poorer coping abilities and higher levels of depression, anxiety, and worry [15]. On the other hand, total pain is positively associated with stress and personal activities aimed at searching for meaning [10,12].…”