The Fifth Vital Sign

Abstract

Adolescent oncology patients with chronic pain require holistic management using interdisciplinary care, multimodal therapies, and family-centered treatment. Adolescents are at a crucial stage of development and require unique assessment that incorporates seeking their input, valuing their opinion, and establishing a developmentally appropriate treatment plan to give them a sense of control. This article discusses the essential elements of assessment that pediatric nurse practitioners should use when evaluating chronic pain in this unique patient population. A comprehensive assessment should determine the biological, psychosocial, and developmental functioning of the patient through objective and subjective measurements. The purpose of this literature review is to outline the mainstays of evaluating pain in a vulnerable population. Ascertaining the barriers that lead to underreporting and undertreating this symptom may lead to more effective management. This article assembles concepts established in research conducted on adolescents with nonmalignant chronic pain and studies on pain in the general pediatric oncology population to assist in evaluating adolescent oncology patients with chronic pain.