Abstract
Background: The prevalence and severity of cancer pain in the outpatient palliative care (PC) setting have not been explored previously in Saudi Arabia (SA). Exploration of this basic information may help in evaluating pain severity in patients new to PC as compared to those with previous PC exposure. Objective: This paper aims to determine the prevalence and severity of cancer pain among new and follow-up patients attending a PC outpatient clinic. Methods: In a PC outpatient setting in a major tertiary hospital in SA, we interviewed adult patients with cancer during their attendance to the clinic. Patients were requested to score the severity of their pain on a 0 to 10 numerical scale. Results: A total of 124 patients were interviewed, of whom 73 (59%) were females. The majority of patients (82.3%) had metastatic disease. The most common cancers were breast (27.4%) and head and neck (15.3%). The majority of patients (85.5%) reported pain, with a median intensity score of 5 and a mean of 4.6. Of those who reported pain, 54 (51%) scored above 4. The mean pain score did not differ between groups of patients according to various characteristics such as age, sex, performance status, type of cancer or encounter type. Conclusion: Pain is a prevalent symptom in new and follow-up cancer patients seen in a PC outpatient setting in SA. Further research on a larger scale is needed to evaluate the magnitude of the problem more comprehensively with emphasis on detailed pain assessment and exploration of the adopted management approaches.
Highlights
Cancer pain impacts all aspects of patient’s wellbeing and is often cited as the most significant among the multiple cancer-related symptoms.[1]
This paper aims to determine the prevalence and severity of cancer pain among new and follow-up patients attending a palliative care (PC) outpatient clinic
Populations in Saudi Arabia (SA) but is not consistent with reports from Western countries.(9 – 11) This could be due to the fact that less than 3% of the population in SA is above 65 years of age.[12]. The finding that the majority of the study population had metastatic disease may be explained by the known trend of delayed referrals to PC at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSHRC).[9,13] The rules of the PC outpatient clinic require patients to be physically present at the clinic for assessment by the physician at the first encounter
Summary
Cancer pain impacts all aspects of patient’s wellbeing and is often cited as the most significant among the multiple cancer-related symptoms.[1]. The prevalence and severity of cancer pain in the outpatient palliative care (PC) setting have not been explored previously in Saudi Arabia (SA). Exploration of this basic information may help in evaluating pain severity in patients new to PC as compared to those with previous PC exposure. Objective: This paper aims to determine the prevalence and severity of cancer pain among new and follow-up patients attending a PC outpatient clinic. Methods: In a PC outpatient setting in a major tertiary hospital in SA, we interviewed adult patients with cancer during their attendance to the clinic. Conclusion: Pain is a prevalent symptom in new and follow-up cancer patients seen in a PC outpatient setting in SA. Further research on a larger scale is needed to evaluate the magnitude of the problem more comprehensively with emphasis on detailed pain assessment and exploration of the adopted management approaches
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