E. Loren Buhle, Jr. The majority of these patients will not obtain satisfactory relief. This fact constitutes a major problem, because unrelieved pain can significantly diminish the patient's quality of life. Among the factors that may contribute to inadequate pain management are the overriding fears of addiction, health care professionals' lack of knowledge about pain medication and new pharmacological interventions, and the lack of confidence in the efficacy of behavior techniques.
Cancer pain can be acute or chronic.
Acute pain generally results from tissue damage and is of limited duration. Once the cause of pain has been identified, it can be successfully treated and is often completely eradicated. Chronic pain, on the other hand, is persistent, usually greater than 3 months in duration. Causes The severity and prevalence of pain that cancer patients experience depends on many factors, including the site and stage of the disease and the location of metastases. Cancer-related pain can result from the disease process or cancer therapy.