What’s with the “may”?? Pain is very often undertreated in cancer and it’s unforgivable in my opinion. (as my friend would say, “Come on Marijke, tell us how you *really* feel!”) I saw this when I worked in the hospitals and had patients with cancer pain, and I saw it when I worked in palliative care and saw patients arrive who had been in agony because of undertreated pain.

According to a review published in the July 15 Advance Access issue of the Annals of Oncology, pain is undertreated in nearly half of all patients with cancer. And, according to the Continuing Medical Education (CME) program for physicians, Pain May Be Undertreated in Nearly Half of All Cancer Patients, “Nearly two thirds of patients with advanced-stage or metastatic cancer will experience pain during their illness. Although the World Health Organization, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, and other groups have issued guidelines regarding pain management, undertreatment is common and well documented.”

What’s frightening, to me, about that statement is that we’re not talking about countries where the resources are scarce and the ability to treat the pain is limited. We’re talking about the so-called developed countries. It’s inexcusable. Absolutely inexcusable.

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What’s with the “may”?? Pain is very often undertreated in cancer and it’s unforgivable in my opinion. (as my friend would say, “Come on Marijke, tell us how you *really* feel!”) I saw this when I worked in the hospitals and had patients with cancer pain, and I saw it when I worked in palliative care and saw patients arrive who had been in agony because of undertreated pain.

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