Application of the BPCQ questionnaire to assess pain management in selected types of cancer

Abstract

Pain is one of the most prevalent unpleasant sensation in people that may significantly lower the quality of life. More than a half of cancer patients suffer from various forms of pain, which becomes more frequent and intense as disease progresses. The objective of the study was to assess the degree of pain control in patients diagnosed with breast, lung, colorectal and prostate cancer. The analysis also covered the effect of socio-economic factors on pain management in patients with the above types of cancer. The study included 902 patients treated at the Outpatient's Department of the Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center - Institute of Oncology in Warsaw in 2013. The patients consisted of those diagnosed with breast, lung, colorectal or prostate carcinoma. The Paper and Pencil Interview (PAPI) technique was applied. A questionnaire interview included demographic-type questions (socio-economic variables) and the Beliefs about Pain Control Questionnaire (BPCQ) test which measures the power of factors influencing pain control in patients. It was demonstrated that regarding beliefs in the source of pain control, patients attributed the highest importance to the power of doctors (mean value = 16.60) and the lowest to chance events (mean = 15.82). The internal factors are regarded as having the strongest influence by respondents diagnosed with colorectal or breast cancer. With regards to the locus of pain control, only the internal control of pain is diversified by the primary site. With regards to the source of pain management, only the internal control of pain is diversified by the primary site. The external factors were regarded as having the strongest influence by respondents diagnosed with colorectal or breast cancer. The major socio-economic variables differentiating the way in which pain control is perceived are education and net income-per-household-member. The results of analyses of individual groups of patients revealled strong correlations between the beliefs in the doctors' influence, and the beliefs in chance events and socio-economic factors.