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.

Adequacy of Pain Management among Advanced Cancer Patients with Solid Tumors Attending Palliative Care Centers in Dar Es Salaam

“…The factors associated with adequate CRP management in our study point to the multifaceted nature of pain management and healthcare delivery. Female patients were found to have higher odds of being adequately managed compared to males, a trend that has been observed in some previous studies but not consistently across all research contexts (24,25). This discrepancy underscores the complexity of gender dynamics in healthcare access and underscores the need for further exploration of gender disparities in pain management outcomes.…”