Cancer-Related Pain: A Longitudinal Study of Time to Stable Pain Control and Its Clinicodemographic Predictors

Abstract

ContextMultidimensional assessment is pivotal in managing cancer-related pain. ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were to determine time to stable pain control (SPC) and identify its baseline clinicodemographic predictors in patients with cancer pain. MethodsThis is a prospective longitudinal study of patients attending a cancer pain clinic. Scheduled clinic attendances and weekly investigator-led phone calls enabled monitoring of patients' daily pain diary, opioid use, and other analgesic interventions. Baseline clinicodemographic variables were examined in survival analyses, which included the construction of accelerated failure time models with time ratios [TRs, (95% CIs)], based on time to SPC (pain intensity ≤3 and <3 breakthrough opioid doses over three consecutive days) for variable categories. ResultsOf 319 participants, 22 died before achieving SPC and were censored in the survival analysis. The median survival time (95% CI) to SPC was 22 (19–25) days. In multivariable analysis, compared to their respective reference categories, female sex (P = 0.001), substance abuse (P < 0.001), a neuropathic pain component (P < 0.001), and use of ≥1 adjuvant analgesic (P = 0.022) each had TRs > 1 (1.03–2.54), whereas soft tissue pain (P < 0.001) had a TR = 0.71 (0.62–0.82), reflecting longer and shorter time to SPC, respectively. ConclusionSPC is achievable for most patients with cancer pain. Recognition of strong predictors of time to SPC, such as substance abuse, a neuropathic pain component, soft tissue pain, and current use of adjuvant analgesia, may help to triage care services based on therapeutic need and guide analgesic interventions.