• © 2014 by American Society of Clinical Oncology

Quality of Cancer Pain Management: An Update of a Systematic Review of Undertreatment of Patients With Cancer

1. Maria Teresa Greco⇑, 
2. Anna Roberto, 
3. Oscar Corli, 
4. Silvia Deandrea,
5. Elena Bandieri, 
6. Silvio Cavuto and 
7. Giovanni Apolone

+Author Affiliations

1. Maria Teresa Greco, University of Milan; Maria Teresa Greco, Anna Roberto, and Oscar Corli, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri,” Milan; Silvia Deandrea, European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Ispra; Elena Bandieri, Azienda Unita Sanitaria Locale di Modena, Modena; and Silvio Cavuto and Giovanni Apolone, IRCCS, Arcispedale “S. Maria Nuova,” Reggio Emilia, Italy.

1. Corresponding author: Maria Teresa Greco, MD, University of Milan, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community, “GA Maccacaro” Section Medical Statistics and Biometry, Via Vanzetti 5, 20133 Milano, Italy; e-mail:mariateresa.greco@marionegri.it.

Abstract

Purpose Pain is a frequent symptom in patients with cancer, with substantial impact. Despite the availability of opioids and updated guidelines from reliable leading societies, undertreatment is still frequent.

Methods We updated a systematic review published in 2008, which showed that according to the Pain Management Index (PMI), 43.4% of patients with cancer were undertreated. This review included observational and experimental studies reporting negative PMI scores for adults with cancer and pain published from 2007 to 2013 and retrieved through MEDLINE, Embase, and Google Scholar. To detect any temporal trend and identify potential determinants of undertreatment, we compared articles published before and after 2007 with univariable, multivariable, and sensitivity analyses.

Results In the new set of 20 articles published from 2007 to 2013, there was a decrease in undertreatment of approximately 25% (from 43.4 to 31.8%). In the whole sample, the proportion of undertreated patients fell from 2007 to 2013, and an association was confirmed between negative PMI score, economic level, and nonspecific setting for cancer pain. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of results.

Conclusion Analysis of 46 articles published from 1994 to 2013 using the PMI to assess the adequacy of analgesic therapy suggests the quality of pharmacologic pain management has improved. However, approximately one third of patients still do not receive pain medication proportional to their pain intensity.