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The effects of pain severity on health‐related quality of life
Author(s) -
Wang Xin S.,
Cleeland Charles S.,
Mendoza Tito R.,
Engstrom Martha C.,
Liu Shujun,
Xu Guangwei,
Hao Xishan,
Wang Ying,
Ren Xinhua S.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19991101)86:9<1848::aid-cncr29>3.0.co;2-m
Subject(s) - medicine , quality of life (healthcare) , disease , physical therapy , cancer , brief pain inventory , cancer pain , severity of illness , chronic pain , nursing
BACKGROUND The health‐related functioning of patients with cancer is compromised by several factors, including the disease process, treatment, and the various symptoms that are produced by both disease and treatment. This study was designed to specify the relationship between patients' pain severity and their self‐reported quality of life. METHODS The study enrolled 216 consecutive consenting adult patients from 2 Chinese cancer centers with pathologically‐diagnosed metastatic cancer who could understand and complete the self‐report measures. The majority had cancer‐related pain and were receiving analgesics. The Chinese version of the Brief Pain Inventory was used to assess the severity and interference of pain. A Chinese translation of the Medical Outcomes Study 36‐Item Short‐Form Health Survey (SF‐36) was used to assess health‐related functional status. Patients' physicians completed a form that indicated characteristics of the patients' cancer, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, pain, and current pain treatment. RESULTS Increasing severity of pain was associated with worsening health‐related functioning, even when an estimate of disease severity was taken into account. The correlation between pain severity and impairment was nonlinear. The functional health and well‐being of cancer patients with no or mild pain was significantly less impaired than that of patients with moderate or severe pain. The impairment of patients with moderate and severe pain did not differ. CONCLUSIONS Pain severity is an important variable to be taken into account when quality of life outcome measures are considered. The functioning of cancer patients with well‐controlled (mild) pain did not differ significantly from that of patients without pain. Providing pain relief should significantly improve the functional status of cancer patients. Cancer 1999;86:1848–55. © 1999 American Cancer Society.