When Patients Take Charge of Opioids: Self-Management Concerns and Practices Among Cancer Outpatients in the Context of Opioid Crisis

Rural reticence to inform physicians of cannabis use

PURPOSE

Over 75% of Americans have legal access to medical cannabis, though physical access is not uniform and can be difficult for rural residents. Additionally, substantial stigma remains in using medical cannabis, particularly within the health care system. This article argues that rural Americans may be particularly affected by such stigma and may thus be more likely to not report cannabis use to health care providers.

METHODS

Data were obtained from 1,045 adult Pennsylvanians using a self-administered web panel omnibus survey. Rurality was determined by overlaying Zip Code Tabulation Areas with urban areas, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Primary outcomes were prior use of cannabidiol (CBD) or marijuana and reporting of such use to medical professionals. Covariates utilized in logistic regressions included rurality, gender, age, race/ethnicity, political affiliation, political ideology, and veteran status.

FINDINGS

Living in an urban area was positively associated with disclosure of marijuana use to health care providers as compared to those in rural areas, although there were no differences found in CBD disclosure.

CONCLUSIONS

Stigma surrounding marijuana usage may have a disproportionate impact on health outcomes for rural residents who use marijuana. Nonreporting prevents effective holistic medical care and can result in negative drug interactions and other side effects.

How Racialized Approaches to Opioid Use Disorder and Opioid Misuse Management Hamper Pharmacoequity for Cancer Pain

@JCO_ASCO paper focuses on racialized approaches to OUD and opioid misuse as underappreciated drivers of disparities in cancer and recs a path forward.

Lifetime Pain Management Experiences of Female Breast Cancer Survivors Aged 65+ Years

PURPOSE

Explore factors influencing pain management among female breast cancer survivors aged 65+ years with moderate to severe pain based on a score of 4 or greater on the 0-10 numeric rating scale.

DESIGN

Qualitative descriptive study.

METHODS

We interviewed 21 purposefully sampled women aged 65+ years who experienced moderate to severe pain. Researchers coded interview transcripts for factors affecting study participants' pain management experiences.

RESULTS

Pain management facilitators included patient-centered interactions with care teams and reliance on psychosocial assets. Challenges included ineffective care team interactions and participants' negative perceptions of opioid analgesia. Other factors included pain attributed to cancer treatment, pain management plan adherence, and psychosocial influencers.

CONCLUSIONS

With regard to this sample, patient-centered communication and pain management education help female breast cancer survivors aged 65+ years manage their pain. Mitigation of opioid stigma and undermanaged painful comorbid conditions could further optimize pain management. Further research on the effects of breast cancer treatment, level of adherence to pain management recommendations, and psychosocial influences on pain management is needed.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Providing contact information for care team members during and after clinic hours facilitates open communication, including timely reporting of new and undertreated pain. Collaborating with the patient and care team on a clear pain management plan and establishing parameters for when to notify the care team empower patients to optimize management of their pain. Verifying patients' understanding of prescribed analgesia and management of side effects and providing education as needed may reduce negative perceptions of opioid analgesia.

Identifying Barriers to Effective Cancer Pain Management in Oman: Implications for Palliative Care

BACKGROUND

Effective cancer pain management is essential for improving the quality of life of patients. However, the use of analgesics is often suboptimal due to various patient-related barriers. This study aims to explore the perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes toward analgesic use among cancer patients in Oman, which may influence their pain management strategies.

METHODS

In a cross-sectional study, we assessed 68 cancer patients undergoing pain management at an inpatient cancer clinic of a tertiary hospital in Oman from a pool of 154 eligible participants. The Barriers Questionnaire (BQ) and the Patient Pain Questionnaire (PPQ), both Arabic versions, were administered to evaluate the patients' barriers to cancer pain management. The study period and the criteria for patient selection are specified.

RESULTS

With a participation rate of 44.2% and a female-to-male ratio of 2.28:1, the mean score on the BQ was 2.52 (SD 0.84), indicating a moderate level of perceived barriers. Patients' scores suggested notable barriers, with older patients exhibiting reluctance toward analgesics for fear of masking symptoms and female patients expressing greater concerns about developing drug tolerance.

CONCLUSION

The findings highlight significant attitudinal barriers to effective cancer pain management in Oman, notably a prevalent fear of medication tolerance. The study stresses on the need for targeted patient education and the correction of misconceptions. It also points to the influence of cultural and religious beliefs on patient responses, advocating for the implementation of culturally sensitive, evidence-based pain management guidelines, and the support of multidisciplinary palliative care teams.

A Qualitative Study of the Pain Experience of Black Individuals With Cancer Taking Long-Acting Opioids

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the experience of Black individuals with cancer taking long-acting opioids for cancer pain.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to describe the day-to-day experience of living with pain and the experiences of taking opioids for pain management among Black individuals with cancer prescribed with long-acting opioids.

METHODS

This qualitative descriptive study was part of a larger investigation focused on opioid adherence. Participants (N = 14) were interviewed using a semistructured interview guide. Analysis followed conventional content analysis and constant comparison approaches. Sociodemographics, clinical information, and the Brief Pain Inventory form were collected.

RESULTS

The majority of the subsample was female (64.3%), not married (78.6%), and with a median age of 52.5 years. Participants were taking either MS Contin (85.7%) or OxyContin (14.3%). The Brief Pain Inventory median "average" pain severity scores and pain interference scores were 5.1/10 (interquartile range [IQR] = 6.1) and 3.5/10 (IQR = 6.7), respectively. Three themes are reported from the analyses: desire for control, barriers to pain relief, and isolation versus connectedness.

CONCLUSION

Our findings highlight the persistent nature of moderate to severe cancer pain and how pain and its treatment interfere with patients' lives. The findings describe ways that patients learn to manage and exert control over pain despite conflicting attitudes and dealing with opioid stigma.

IMPLICATION FOR PRACTICE

Clinicians should partner with patients with cancer, especially people of color, who may experience intersecting stigmas related to their cancer pain and opioid use, to best provide an individualized and culturally sensitive pain treatment plan.

Toward reducing racialized pain care disparities: Approaching cannabis research and access through the lens of equity and inclusion

There is growing interest in cannabis use for cancer pain. This commentary aims to discuss the evidence surrounding cannabis use for cancer pain in the context of the long-racialized landscape of cannabis policies and the disparity in pain control among cancer patients holding minoritized racial identities. Much evidence surrounding both the benefits and harms of cannabis use in cancer patients, and all patients in general, is lacking. Although drawing on the research in cancer that is available, it is also important to illustrate the broader context about how cannabis' deep roots in medical, political, and social history impact patient use and health care policies. There are lessons we can learn from the racialized disparities in opioid risk mitigation strategies, so they are not replicated in the settings of cannabis for cancer symptom management. Additionally, the authors intentionally use the term "cannabis" here rather than "marijuana.: In the early 1900s, the lay press and government popularized the use of the word "marijuana" instead of the more common "cannabis" to tie the drug to anti-Mexican prejudice.

Trajectories and predictors of high-occurrence pain flares in ambulatory cancer patients on opioids

BACKGROUND

Pain flares have a substantive impact on the quality of life and well-being of patients with cancer. We identified longitudinal trajectories (clusters) of cancer pain flares in ambulatory patients and sociodemographic and clinical predictors of these trajectories.

METHODS

In a prospective cohort study using ecological momentary assessment (mEMA), we collected patient-reported daily pain flare ratings data over 5 months and identified predictors and correlates using validated measures.

RESULTS

The mean age of the sample (N = 270) was 60.9 years (SD = 11.2), 64.8% were female, and 32.6% self-identified as African American. Four pain flare clusters were identified. The "high-occurrence" cluster (23% of patients) experienced 5.5 (SD = 5.47) daily flares, whereas low-moderate clusters (77%) reported 2.4 (SD = 2.74) daily flares (P < .000). Those in the high-occurrence cluster reported higher pain scores (P = .000), increased pain-related interference (P = .000), depressive symptoms (P = .023), lower quality of life (P = .001), and reduced pain self-efficacy (P = .006). Notably, 67.2% of those prescribed opioids as needed (PRN only) were in the high-occurrence pain flare cluster, compared with 27.9% with PRN and around-the-clock opioid prescriptions (P = .024). Individual predictors of high-occurrence pain flares were income below $30 000, unemployment, being African American, lower education level, Medicaid insurance, current opioid misuse (COMM), baseline inpatient hospital stay duration, and PRN-only opioid regimen. In the multiple predictor model, lower education level, unemployment, COMM score, extended inpatient duration, and PRN-only opioid regimen remained significant.

CONCLUSION

In ambulatory patients with cancer, high occurrence of pain flares may be mitigated by attention to opioid prescription factors and addressing social determinants of health needs of underserved patients.

The Stigma Surrounding Opioid Use as a Barrier to Cancer-Pain Management: An Overview of Experiences with Fear, Shame, and Poorly Controlled Pain in the Context of Advanced Cancer

Cancer-related pain affects a majority of patients with advanced cancer and is often undertreated. The treatment of this pain is largely reliant on the use of opioids, which are essential medicines for symptom management and the maintenance of quality of life (QoL) for patients with advanced cancer. While there are cancer-specific guidelines for the treatment of pain, widespread publication and policy changes in response to the opioid epidemic have drastically impacted perceptions of opioid use. This overview therefore aims to investigate how manifestations of opioid stigma impact pain management in cancer settings, with an emphasis on the experiences of patients with advanced cancer. Opioid use has been widely stigmatized in multiple domains, including public, healthcare, and patient populations. Physician hesitancy in prescribing and pharmacist vigilance in dispensing were identified as barriers to optimal pain management, and may contribute to stigma in the context of advanced cancer. Evidence in the literature suggests that opioid stigma may result in patient deviations from prescription instructions, which generally leads to pain undertreatment. Patients reflected on experiencing shame and fear surrounding their prescription opioid use and feeling uncomfortable communicating with their healthcare providers on these topics. Our findings indicate that future work is required to educate patients and providers in order to de-stigmatize opioid use. Through alleviating stigma, patients may be better able to make decisions regarding their pain management which lead to freedom from cancer-related pain and improved QoL.

Standard Naloxone Prescribing for Palliative Care Cancer Patients on Opioid Therapy: A Single-Site Quality Improvement Pilot to Assess Attitudes and Access

BACKGROUND

Limited data exist on when to offer naloxone to cancer patients on opioid therapy.

MEASURES

We assessed patient and clinician attitudes on naloxone education (done via surveys at initial and follow up visits) and prescribing rates (via chart reviews) at a single ambulatory palliative care practice. Pharmacy records assessed naloxone dispense rates.

INTERVENTION

During a three-month period, all new patients receiving opioid therapy were offered naloxone. Standardized educational materials on opioid safety and naloxone use were created and shared by clinical team.

OUTCOMES

Naloxone prescribing rates increased from 5% to 66%. 92% (n = 23) of clinicians reported education/prescribing took ≤ five minutes, and 100% reported either a positive or neutral impact on the encounter. A total of 81% (n = 25) of patients reported no increased worry about opioid use, 68% (n = 21) felt safer with naloxone, and 97% rated the encounter as neutral or positive. 88% (n = 37) of prescriptions were dispensed and 67% of patients (n = 16) paid <$10.

CONCLUSIONS/LESSONS LEARNED

Opioid safety education and naloxone prescribing can be done quickly and is well-received by clinicians and patients.

Barriers and Facilitators of Pain Self-Management Among Patients with Cancer: An Integrative Review

BACKGROUND

Defining the main barriers and facilitators of cancer pain self-management are essential to improve patients' overall quality of life.

AIM

The main purpose of this review was to identify the main barriers and facilitators for cancer pain self-management.

METHOD

An integrative review guided by the five-stages framework that was identified by Souza et al. (2010) was used: (1) preparing the guiding question; (2) searching or sampling the literature; (3) data collection; (4) critical analysis of the studies; and (5) discussion of results. A comprehensive literature review was conducted using the electronic databases of PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, and Psych INFO.

RESULTS

Twenty-two studies were identified. The main facilitators that foster the process of cancer pain self-management were supportive ambiances including family caregivers as well as health care providers, active participation of patients with cancer in health care including self-discovery and self-awareness, acquiring pain knowledge, and using a pain diary. The main barriers include concerns regarding the use of pain medications, knowledge deficit, negative beliefs and attitudes, unsupportive ambiance, and psychological distress. Some patients' characteristics could be related to these barriers such as age, sex, race, marital status, educational level, level of pain, and presence of comorbidity.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with cancer pain experience multiple barriers and facilitators when attempting to take on an active role in managing their pain.

"It's Rougher on Me Than It Is on Him": Family Caregiver-Generated and Prioritized Illness Concerns While Patients Undergo Cancer Treatments

PURPOSE

Research eliciting patients' illness concerns has typically focused later in the cancer continuum, rather than during cancer treatments. Family caregiver concerns are overlooked during this time. Less is known about how patients and caregivers prioritize concerns during cancer treatments, which holds potential for improving supportive oncology care (ie, primary palliative care). The purpose of this study was to elicit and compare which domains of supportive oncology are of highest importance to patients and caregivers during cancer treatments.

METHODS

Freelisting, a cognitive anthropology method, was used to elicit concerns in order of importance. Freelist data were analyzed using Smith's salience index. Qualitative interviews were conducted with a caregiver subsample to add explanatory insights.

RESULTS

In descending order, pain, death, fear, family, and awful were salient Freelist items for patients (n = 65), whereas sadness, time-consuming, support, anger, tired, death, and frustration were salient for caregivers (n = 24). When integrated with supportive oncology domains, patients' concerns reflected a prioritization of the physical (pain) and emotional (death, fear, and awful) domains, with less emphasis on social (family) aspects. Caregivers' prioritized the emotional (sadness, anger, death, and frustration) and social (time-consuming and support) domains, with less emphasis on the physical (tired) aspects.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that enhancing primary palliative care delivery by oncology teams requires systems thinking to support both the patient and caregiver as the primary unit of care. Primary palliative care may be improved by prioritizing interventions that address physical concerns among patients as well as key social concerns among caregivers to support the complex caregiving role while patients undergo cancer treatments.

Use of complementary and integrative health in cancer pain management among patients undergoing cancer treatments: a qualitative descriptive study

BACKGROUND

Pain is a common symptom in patients undergoing cancer treatment. Despite recommendations for the stronger integration of complementary and integrative health (CIH) in cancer pain management, little is known about the individual experience of using this approach for cancer pain, particularly in certain populations such as African Americans.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to describe the experiences of using CIH for pain in African American and White patients with cancer undergoing cancer treatments.

METHODS

A secondary analysis of qualitative descriptive data from a subsample of patients with cancer in a parent study of their illness concerns was employed. Atlas.ti 8.0 was used for data management and qualitative analysis. Counts of participant-endorsed themes were tabulated to discern differences in themes by group.

RESULTS

Of 32 participants (16 African American, 16 White), 22 reported CIH usage for cancer pain management, with equal distribution between groups (11 each). Three themes emerged: Approach to, Reasons for, and Barriers to CIH Use. Psychological approaches were most common (n = 15). Nutritional, physical, and combination approaches were less common and more often employed by White participants. Reasons for CIH use were to reduce opioid consumption or for an opioid adjuvant. Personal limitations and access issues contributed to Barriers to CIH use.

CONCLUSIONS

Both African American and White patients used CIH for pain management while undergoing cancer treatments. However, some preferential differences in CIH approaches by race surfaced. Further research into these differences may uncover new ways of addressing disparities in cancer pain management with CIH.

Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Delivering Antiracist Care to Black Americans

Racial disparities, including decreased hospice utilization, lower quality symptom management, and poor-quality end-of-life care have been well documented in Black Americans. Improving health equity and access to high-quality serious illness care is a national palliative care (PC) priority. Accomplishing these goals requires clinician reflection, engagement, and large-scale change in clinical practice and health-related policies. In this article, we provide an overview of key concepts that underpin racism in health care, discuss common serious illness disparities in Black Americans, and propose steps to promote the delivery of antiracist PC.

Impact of Cannabis Use on Least Pain Scores Among African American and White Patients with Cancer Pain: A Moderation Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Based on many published reports, African American patients with cancer experience higher pain severity scores and lower pain relief than White patients. This disparity results from undertreatment of pain and is compounded by low adherence to prescribed non-opioid and opioid analgesics among African American patients with cancer. While nearly one in four patients use cannabis to manage cancer-related symptoms, less is known about how cannabis use influences pain relief in this patient population.

METHODS

This study is based on preliminary data from an ongoing study of longitudinal outcomes of opioid therapy among African American and White patients with cancer. Linear mixed-effects models were utilized to assess the interaction of race and cannabis use on pain relief using "least pain" item scores from the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) averaged across three time points. Models were adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical variables.

RESULTS

This analysis included 136 patients (49 African American, 87 White). Overall, 30.1% of the sample reported cannabis use for cancer pain. The mean "least pain" score on BPI was 3.3 (SD=2.42) on a scale of 0-10. African American patients had a mean "least pain" score 1.32±0.48 units higher (indicating lower pain relief) than White patients (p=0.006). Cannabis use did not have a significant main effect (p=0.28). However, cannabis use was a significant moderator of the relationship between race and "least pain" (p=0.03). In the absence of cannabis use, African Americans reported higher "least pain" scores compared to Whites (mean difference=1.631±0.5, p=0.001). However, this disparity was no longer observed in African American patients reporting cannabis use (mean "least pain" difference=0.587±0.59, p=0.32).

CONCLUSION

These findings point to the possible role of cannabis in cancer pain management and its potential to reduce racial disparities. These findings are preliminary and further research into the role of cannabis in cancer pain outcomes is needed.

"I'm Dealing With That": Illness Concerns of African American and White Cancer Patients While Undergoing Active Cancer Treatments

BACKGROUND

National oncology guidelines recommend early integration of palliative care for patients with cancer. However, drivers for this integration remain understudied. Understanding illness concerns at the time of cancer treatment may help facilitate integration earlier in the cancer illness trajectory.

OBJECTIVE

To describe cancer patients' concerns while undergoing cancer treatment, and determine if concerns differ among African Americans and Whites.

METHODS

A 1-time, semi-structured qualitative interview was conducted with a purposive subsample of cancer patients participating in a larger study of illness concerns. Eligible patients were undergoing cancer treatments and had self-reported moderate-to-severe pain in the last week. Analysis encompassed a qualitative descriptive approach with inductive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Participants (16 African American, 16 White) had a median age of 53 and were predominantly females (72%) with stage III/IV cancer (53%). Illness concerns were largely consistent across participants and converged on 3 themes: symptom experience (pain, options to manage pain), cancer care delivery (communication, care coordination and care transitions), and practical concerns (access to community and health system resources, financial toxicity).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings extend the scope of factors that could be utilized to integrate palliative care earlier in the cancer illness trajectory, moving beyond the symptoms- and prognosis-based triggers that typify current referrals to also consider diverse logistical concerns. Using this larger set of concerns aids anticipatory risk mitigation and planning (e.g. care transitions, financial toxicity), helps patients receive a larger complement of support services, and builds cancer patients' capacity toward a more patient-centered treatment and care experience.

This Is a Different Patient Population: Opioid Prescribing Challenges for Patients With Cancer-Related Pain

PURPOSE

Responses to the opioid epidemic in the United States, including efforts to monitor and limit prescriptions for noncancer pain, may be affecting patients with cancer. Oncologists' views on how the opioid epidemic may be influencing treatment of cancer-related pain are not well understood.

METHODS

We conducted a multisite qualitative interview study with 26 oncologists from a mix of urban and rural practices in Western Pennsylvania. The interview guide asked about oncologists' views of and experiences in treating cancer-related pain in the context of the opioid epidemic. A multidisciplinary team conducted thematic analysis of interview transcripts to identify and refine themes related to challenges to safe and effective opioid prescribing for cancer-related pain and recommendations for improvement.

RESULTS

Oncologists described three main challenges: (1) patients who receive opioids for cancer-related pain feel stigmatized by clinicians, pharmacists, and society; (2) patients with cancer-related pain fear becoming addicted, which affects their willingness to accept prescription opioids; and (3) guidelines for safe and effective opioid prescribing are often misinterpreted, leading to access issues. Suggested improvements included educational materials for patients and families, efforts to better inform prescribers and the public about safe and appropriate uses of opioids for cancer-related pain, and additional support from pain and/or palliative care specialists.

CONCLUSION

Challenges to safe and effective opioid prescribing for cancer-related pain include opioid stigma and access barriers. Interventions that address opioid stigma and provide additional resources for clinicians navigating complex opioid prescribing guidelines may help to optimize cancer pain treatment.

Gaps in the Use of Long-Acting Opioids Within Intervals of Consecutive Days Among Cancer Outpatients Using Electronic Pill Caps

OBJECTIVE

This study describes individual cancer patients' nonuse of extended-release or long-acting (ER/LA) opioids, including periods of gap between opioid doses taken.

DESIGN

Secondary analysis of a three-month observational study of prescribed ER/LA opioids monitored using electronic pill caps.

SETTING

Two outpatient oncology clinics of a large health system in the Mid-Atlantic region.

PARTICIPANTS

Inclusion was based on self-identified African Americans and whites, at least 18 years old, diagnosed with solid tumors or multiple myeloma. For the current analysis, the additional inclusion criterion was prescription of an oral ER/LA opioid for cancer pain to be taken around the clock.

METHODS

The electronic monitoring period for each study participant was partitioned into intervals of days between days with one or more openings (using medication event monitoring systems) representing rates of ER/LA opioid nonuse over consecutive days and over time.

RESULTS

Of the sample (N = 109), two-thirds of the cancer patients had some nonuse of prescribed ER/LA opioids, with one in four having nonuse during 31.5-87.5% of their electronic-monitoring periods. Nonuse over periods of five or more, six or more, and seven or more consecutive days occurred for 37.6%, 34.9%, and 30.3% of the participants, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

About one in three ambulatory cancer patients in this study had substantial gaps between days of ER/LA opioid use, potentially resulting in risk of overdose depending upon the prescribed ER/LA opioid type, dose, and length of the time the opioid was stopped and resumed at the previous dose. This phenomenon has received little to no attention in the opioid safety discourse.

"I Had a Lot More Planned": The Existential Dimensions of Prognosis Communication with Adults with Advanced Cancer

Background: Communication about prognosis is a key ingredient of effective palliative care. When patients with advanced cancer develop increased prognostic understanding, there is potential for existential distress to occur. However, the existential dimensions of prognosis communication are underexplored. Objective: To describe the existential dimensions of prognosis communication in naturally-occurring palliative care conversations. Methods: This study was an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. We analyzed a random subset of patients from the Palliative Care Communication Research Initiative (PCCRI) parent study (n = 34, contributing to 45 palliative care conversations). Data were based on audio-recorded and transcribed inpatient palliative care conversations between adults with advanced cancer, their families, and palliative care clinicians. We stratified the study sample by levels of prognosis communication, and qualitatively examined patterns of existential communication, comparing the intensity, frequency, and content, within and across levels. Results: Existential communication was more common, and of stronger intensity, within conversations with higher levels of prognosis communication. Conversations with more prognosis communication appeared to exhibit a shift toward the existential and away from the more physical nature of the serious illness experience. Conclusion: Existential and prognosis communication are intimately linked within palliative care conversations. Results highlight the multiplicity and mutuality of concerns that arise when contemplating mortality, drawing attention to areas of palliative care communication that warrant future research.

Practical Guidance for Studies Using Freelisting Interviews

Freelisting is a qualitative interviewing technique that has recently grown in popularity. It is an excellent tool for rapidly exploring how groups of people think about and define a particular health-related domain and is well suited for engaging communities and identifying shared priorities. In this article, we outline 7 practical considerations for conducting freelisting studies summarized from 16 articles conducted by the authors at the University of Pennsylvania and Thomas Jefferson University in partnership with community-based organizations and students. Our recommendations can inform study design, data collection, and data analysis for investigators who are interested in using freelisting interviews in their research.

The Association Between Analgesic Treatment Beliefs and Electronically Monitored Adherence for Cancer Pain

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether clusters based on analgesic treatment beliefs among patients with cancer predict objective analgesic adherence.

SAMPLE & SETTING

207 patients with cancer in the outpatient setting who were aged 18 years or older, self-identified as White or African American, were diagnosed with solid tumor or multiple myeloma, and were prescribed at least one around-the-clock analgesic prescription for reported cancer pain.

METHODS & VARIABLES

This study is a secondary analysis of an existing dataset. General linear modeling with a backward elimination approach was applied to determine whether previously identified analgesic treatment belief clusters, as well as sociodemographic, clinical, and pain variables, were associated with adherence behaviors.

RESULTS

Significant explanatory factors were experiential in nature and included sociodemographic, clinical, and pain-related variables, explaining 21% of the variance in analgesic adherence. Analgesic belief clusters were not predictive of adherence.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING

Future research should examine sociodemographic and other clinical factors, as well as the influence of analgesic treatment beliefs, to better understand adherence behaviors among patients with cancer.

Palliative Care's Role Managing Cancer Pain During the Opioid Crisis: A Qualitative Study of Patients, Caregivers, and Clinicians

CONTEXT

Patients with cancer face symptoms because of disease and treatment, and pain is common and complex. The opioid crisis may complicate patients' and clinicians' experiences of managing pain in cancer care.

OBJECTIVES

In our study of perceptions and experiences with palliative care (PC) at an outpatient cancer center, we examined communication around symptom management throughout cancer care, and pain and its management emerged as particularly salient. The objective of this article is to describe, from the perspectives of patients, caregivers, and oncology health care professionals, the role of PC in navigating the complicated dynamics of pain management amidst the opioid crisis.

METHODS

A qualitative descriptive study with grounded theory components was designed to investigate experiences with and perceptions of specialist PC and symptom management, including pain. Interviews were audiorecorded and transcribed, and focused coding identified themes related to pain and pain management from all three perspectives.

RESULTS

About 44 patients, caregivers, and non-PC health care professionals completed interviews. Patients with cancer and their caregivers had many concerns about pain management and were specifically concerned about opioid use and stigma. For patients, PC improved pain management and helped to destigmatize appropriate pain management. Oncology clinicians reported that partnering with PC facilitated complex pain management and also provided moral support around difficult opioid recommendations for patients.

CONCLUSION

PC offers the potential to uniquely support both patients and other oncology professionals in optimally navigating the complexity around pain management for cancer care in the midst of the opioid crisis.

"No thanks, I don't want to see snakes again": a qualitative study of pain management versus preservation of cognition in palliative care patients

BACKGROUND

Towards the end of life, use of opioid analgesics becomes more common in patients to control pain and improve quality of life. While pain medication may help manage pain, unwanted cognitive side effects are frequently noted. This balancing act presents a trade-off for patients between pain relief and adverse effects, where the desire to relieve pain must be evaluated against the desire to maintain cognitive clarity and may represent a difficult decision for patients receiving palliative care. Our goal was to understand how patients' decision making about pain medications balances the pain relief from those medications against the cognitive decline often associated with them.

METHODS

We conducted qualitative semi-structured interviews with patients receiving home-based palliative care from a program in Toronto, Canada. Interview recordings were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Thirty-one interviews were conducted. Some patients preferred cognitive preservation over pain management because of a sense that cognition is central to their identity, the desire to maintain lucidity, a desire to continue participating in work or hobbies, and fear of addiction. Conversely, some patients preferred pain management over cognitive preservation because of a desire to avoid suffering, an inability to sleep without medications, or an acceptance of some cognitive compromise. A few patients attempted to find balance through tapering drugs, limiting their use of breakthrough analgesic doses, or using alternative strategies.

CONCLUSIONS

Decision making around pain and pain management is a highly preference-sensitive process-with no clear right or wrong decisions, only the preferences of each patient. The findings from this study may influence the design of future patient-facing decision aids around pain management. Future studies should pilot interventions to better assist patients with this decision.

The Benefits of Olanzapine in Palliating Symptoms

OPINION STATEMENT

Olanzapine has become a major drug in the management of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting as a prophylactic agent. In addition, a recent randomized trial has demonstrated its benefits in treating nausea and vomiting associated with advanced cancer. The added benefit to olanzapine is that it also stimulates appetite. As a result, since it treats multiple symptoms associated with advanced cancer, it is likely to become the antiemetic of choice in palliative care at least in the USA. The added benefit of treating insomnia and the avoidance of benzodiazepines should place olanzapine in at the top of the list of drugs to use for patients who do complain of insomnia. There is no good evidence that it potentiates the respiratory depression of opioids unlike benzodiazepines. The evidence is weak that olanzapine in as an adjuvant analgesic. Hopefully, future trials will explore this in greater depth. The benefits of adding olanzapine to potent opioids are that it may reduce craving, drug cues, and opioid misuse. Other symptoms like anxiety and depression may be addressed by the addition of olanzapine to standard antidepressants.