There is the greater collective knowledge, awareness of resources, and networking that goes on as the experience is pluralized. And there is the prodding and urging to action to members who may be stalled out or overwhelmed or in denial. We are educating the oncologists that alternative medicine is helpful. And it is much cheaper than standard medicine. Hospitals, which are businesses are recognizing they can increase market share of educated high income patients by offering alternative medicine.
Pain control is high art.
And not well taught. Pain control is best understood by specialized pain clinics and hospice. A cancer patient would do well to educate themselves about these resources well before the onset of pain. There are also some non-pharmacological approaches to pain. Lerner spoke of the meaning of pain.