Older Cancer Patients Often Undertreated for Severe Pain

Even when suffering severe pain, one-third of older cancer patients were not taking the strongest painkillers (opiods such as morphine, oxycodone or fentanyl) that could have helped ease that pain, according to a recent large Canadian study.

The most likely reasons were that physicians were not prescribing the medicines, or that the older patients were afraid of side effects, the researchers wrote in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (April 1 2012).

“Cancer pain is common, and its undertreatment is well described,” wrote the study authors, citing multiple previous studies including a worldwide 2008 literature review showing that half of patients with cancer have pain were undertreated, even though studies also show that the vast majority of cancer patients could achieve pain relief with simple drug therapy.

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Nearly one in three people with cancer, both with those with active cancer and cancer survivors, report  having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or sleeping too much.

Pain and emotional distress were often associated with sleep problems. Read the rest of this entry »

Listening to just thirty minutes of music significantly reduced pain and distress for cancer patients.

The patients were receiving medication, but still had pain.

Music reduced pain scores by more than 50 percent for almost half of them compared to fewer than 1 in 10 similar patients who just rested in bed. Read the rest of this entry »

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new opiate drug for severe breakthrough cancer pain.  However, Onsolis® will only be available through a restricted distribution program.

As part of an FDA-required Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or REMS, only health care providers, pharmacies, and patients registered with the FOCUS program will be able to prescribe, dispense, and use the medicine. Read the rest of this entry »

Farrah Fawcett died on Thursday, June 25, 2009 of anal cancer that had spread to her liver.  She was 62.  Anal cancer is much more rare than either colon or rectal cancer, affecting about 5,300 Americans in 2009. 710 will die from it.

In other headlines, the Caterpillar company works with Peoria hospitals and doctors to ensure quality colonoscopy for their employees and a Swiss laboratory will be the first to offer a blood screening test for colorectal cancer.

In research, MRI colonography is useful for patients who can’t have a full colonoscopy before surgery, screening colonoscopies are increasing for Medicare enrollees, and scientists have found factors in tumors that make nerves more sensitive to pain.

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