In their own words: Seven advanced cancer patients describe their experience with pain and the use of opioid drugs Journal Article
| Author: | Coyle, N. |
| Article Title: | In their own words: Seven advanced cancer patients describe their experience with pain and the use of opioid drugs |
| Abstract: | Seven individuals living with advanced cancer, who were followed by a pain and palliative care service at an urban cancer center and had at least once expressed a desire for hastened death, describe how both pain and the use of opioid drugs affected their quality of life. Their description is part of a broader phenomenological inquiry on the experience of living with advanced cancer and how that experience affected attitudes towards life and death. Serial, "in-depth semi-structured" interviews were conducted (mean=3 interviews/patient). Themes that emerged in relation to pain and opioid use reflect struggle - with self, with God, and with desire to live and/or readiness to die. Recognizing the appraisal process that patients undertake regarding the cost/benefit of reporting pain and accepting opioids, as well as the impact on severe pain on desire for death, from the patients' own word, gives a framework for the clinician to intervene. © 2004 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. |
| Keywords: | adult; clinical article; aged; aged, 80 and over; middle aged; advanced cancer; follow up; neoplasms; quality of life; pain; opiate; palliative therapy; cancer pain; terminally ill; cancer center; death; severity of illness index; experience; phenomenology; physician; attitude; interview; opioids; analgesia; pain assessment; qualitative research; cost benefit analysis; drug use; nociception; life; narcotics; speech articulation; humans; human; male; female; article; cancer-related pain; patient narratives |
| Journal Title: | Journal of Pain and Symptom Management |
| Volume: | 27 |
| Issue: | 4 |
| ISSN: | 0885-3924 |
| Publisher: | Elsevier Inc. |
| Date Published: | 2004-04-01 |
| Start Page: | 300 |
| End Page: | 309 |
| Language: | English |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2003.08.008 |
| PROVIDER: | scopus |
| PUBMED: | 15050657 |
| DOI/URL: | |
| Notes: | J. Pain Symptom Manage. -- Cited By (since 1996):30 -- Export Date: 16 June 2014 -- CODEN: JPSME -- Source: Scopus |
