TY - JOUR
T1 - No evidence for sex differences in the severity and treatment of cancer pain
AU - Edrington, Janet M.
AU - Paul, Steven
AU - Dodd, Marylin
AU - West, Claudia
AU - Facione, Noreen
AU - Tripathy, Debu
AU - Koo, Peter
AU - Schumacher, Karen
AU - Miaskowski, Christine
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by a grant (CA 64734) from the National Cancer Institute. Additional support for the corresponding author's program of research was provided through unrestricted grants from Janssen Pharmaceutica and Purdue Pharma LP. The authors would like to acknowledge the support and assistance of all of the physicians and nurses at our study sites as well as our project staff. They are also especially grateful to all of the patients and family caregivers who participated in this study.
PY - 2004/9
Y1 - 2004/9
N2 - While chronic pain is experienced by approximately 50-90% of patients with metastatic cancer, little is known about sex differences in chronic cancer pain. Therefore, the purposes of this study, in a sample of oncology outpatients (n=187) who were experiencing pain from bone metastasis, were: 1) to determine if there were sex differences in various pain characteristics, including pain intensity, and 2) to determine if there were sex differences in the prescription and consumption of analgesic medications. No significant sex differences were found in any of the baseline pain characteristics. In addition, no significant sex differences were found in analgesic prescriptions or intake of analgesic medications. Of note, men reported significantly higher pain interference scores for sexual activity than women. The study findings are important because they suggest that, unlike in acute pain, sex may not influence patients' perceptions of and responses to chronic cancer pain.
AB - While chronic pain is experienced by approximately 50-90% of patients with metastatic cancer, little is known about sex differences in chronic cancer pain. Therefore, the purposes of this study, in a sample of oncology outpatients (n=187) who were experiencing pain from bone metastasis, were: 1) to determine if there were sex differences in various pain characteristics, including pain intensity, and 2) to determine if there were sex differences in the prescription and consumption of analgesic medications. No significant sex differences were found in any of the baseline pain characteristics. In addition, no significant sex differences were found in analgesic prescriptions or intake of analgesic medications. Of note, men reported significantly higher pain interference scores for sexual activity than women. The study findings are important because they suggest that, unlike in acute pain, sex may not influence patients' perceptions of and responses to chronic cancer pain.
KW - Gender differences
KW - cancer pain
KW - cancer pain management
KW - chronic pain
KW - sex differences
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2003.12.013
DO - 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2003.12.013
M3 - Article
C2 - 15336334
AN - SCOPUS:4344616284
SN - 0885-3924
VL - 28
SP - 225
EP - 232
JO - Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
JF - Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
IS - 3
ER -