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Challenging the representations of cancer pain: Experiences of a multidisciplinary pain management group in a palliative care unit

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 August 2005

ELIZABETH CHAPMAN ,
DAVID HUGHES ,
ANNETTE LANDY ,
JUDITH WHALE  and
MARGARET SAUNDERS
ELIZABETH CHAPMAN
Affiliation:
Arthur Rank Hospice, Cambridge, UK
DAVID HUGHES
Affiliation:
Arthur Rank Hospice, Cambridge, UK
ANNETTE LANDY
Affiliation:
Arthur Rank Hospice, Cambridge, UK
JUDITH WHALE
Affiliation:
Arthur Rank Hospice, Cambridge, UK
MARGARET SAUNDERS
Affiliation:
Arthur Rank Hospice, Cambridge, UK
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Abstract

Objective: This article describes how a Multidisciplinary Pain Management Group was set up in a palliative care unit, and outlines the ways that the group works with different patients. We place these comments in the context of the wider representations of pain.

Methods: Our observations of patients seen by the multidisciplinary team.

Results: We tentatively propose that where the patient's pain has certain characteristics it may require a different approach. Patients who are older, with a lengthy treatment history, may require a different input than younger patients, who may have a number of factors that further complicate their experience of pain. We use our extensive experience with mesothelioma patients to draw a further important distinction between this patient group and other patients.

Significance of research: Our observations suggest the need to allow sufficient time for intensive psychological work to be done with mesothelioma patients in order for pharmacological interventions to be effective.

Keywords

Cancer pain managementPsychosocialMesotheliomaRepresentations of painMultidisciplinary approach
Type
Research Article
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 3 , Issue 1 , March 2005 , pp. 43 - 49
Copyright
© 2005 Cambridge University Press

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