The IASP classification of chronic pain for ICD-11: chronic cancer-related pain

Abstract

Worldwide, the prevalence of cancer is rising and so too is the number of patients who survive their cancer for many years thanks to the therapeutic successes of modern oncology. One of the most frequent and disabling symptoms of cancer is pain. In addition to the pain caused by the cancer, cancer treatment may also lead to chronic pain. Despite its importance, chronic cancer-related pain is not represented in the current International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). This article describes the new classification of chronic cancer-related pain for ICD-11. Chronic cancer-related pain is defined as chronic pain caused by the primary cancer itself or metastases (chronic cancer pain) or its treatment (chronic postcancer treatment pain). It should be distinguished from pain caused by comorbid disease. Pain management regimens for terminally ill cancer patients have been elaborated by the World Health Organization and other international bodies. An important clinical challenge is the longer term pain management in cancer patients and cancer survivors, where chronic pain from cancer, its treatment, and unrelated causes may be concurrent. This article describes how a new classification of chronic cancer-related pain in ICD-11 is intended to help develop more individualized management plans for these patients and to stimulate research into these pain syndromes.

Smertebehandling ved kronisk kreftsykdom

“…Ikke all smerte hos en kreftpasient er kreftsmerte eller skal behandles som kreftsmerte. Behovet for diagnostikk og klassifisering av smerte hos kreftpasientene har ført til at det nye diagnosesystemet ICD-11 inneholder en omfattende klassifikasjon av langvarig kreftrelatert smerte der man skiller mellom smerter fra tumormassene, smerte som følge av onkologisk eller kirurgisk behandling og smerte som ikke er relatert til kreftsykdommen (9). Hos kreftpasienter gjelder de samme prinsippene både for behandling av akutt smerte og langvarig ikke-malign smerte som hos andre pasienter.…”

Dietary Patterns and Interventions to Alleviate Chronic Pain

“…Chronic cancer-related pain caused by the presence of cancer, associated metastases or after cancer treatments should be distinguished from the pain caused by other comorbid diseases. Pain management in cancer patients and survivors is an important clinical challenge because CP due to the cancer itself, its treatment and other causes may be concurrent [2].…”

A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify measures of breakthrough pain and evaluate their psychometric properties

“…According to the WHO,15 BTP is usually sudden, severe and occurs in brief episodes that can happen multiple times a day 15. In the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), a task force of the International Association for the Study of Pain describes cancer pain as continuous (background pain) or intermittent (episodic) pain 16. The latter is defined as either related to movement or activity (incident pain) or unrelated (spontaneous pain).…”