RT Book, Section A1 Jacobsen, Juliet A1 Jackson, Vicki A2 Chabner, Bruce A. A2 Longo, Dan L. SR Print(0) ID 1127647484 T1 Pain Management T2 Harrison's Manual of Oncology, 2e YR 2016 FD 2016 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9780071793254 LK hemonc.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1127647484 RD 2024/10/03 AB Cancer causes pain. Although studies give varying results, even the most conservative studies report that at least 20% of patients have pain at diagnosis or in the advanced stages of their illness. Numerous studies show that clinicians often undertreat cancer pain and that undertreated pain causes undue burdens on patients and their families. Clinicians may underestimate how much pain patients feel, or not be facile in pain management techniques that have the potential to greatly improve a patient's quality of life. Patients’ misconceptions about pain medications also contribute to inadequate pain management. Patients may be reluctant to take pain medications for fear of addiction or worry that requiring pain medication indicates that death is imminent. Patients at particular risk for undertreatment include women, minorities, the poor, and the old (1).