Cancer patients being undertreated.

Despite the fact that sufficient knowledge about cancer pain management exists, thousands of patients suffer needlessly every year due to misconceptions and misunderstandings that lead to undertreatment, maintains Charles S. Cleeland, a neurology professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison Medical School. "Probably 70 to 80% of cancer patients could get adequate care through the use of an oral morphine, or an equivalent drug, coupled with an assisting drug. Instead, barriers among healthcare professionals, patients, and regulators often prevent effective pain management.

"Inappropriate or inadequate assessment of patients is the single biggest cause of poor pain management. Physicians aren't asking their patients about the severity of their pain." He notes that most doctors learn about pain management by listening to the experiences of colleagues, rather than being taught proper procedure in medical school or during their fellowships. "Our studies have shown that the majority of physicians are willing to prescribe adequate drugs to manage cancer pain. It's the lack of knowledge about pain management--rather than attitude or intent--that often acts as a barrier."

Adding to the problem is the reluctance on the part of patients to report their pain because they don't want to be seen as complainers, don't want to shift the focus away from the disease itself, fear psychological addiction to the prescribed drugs, are concerned...