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The ethical dimensions of undermedication of pain
Author(s) -
Ventafridda Vittorio
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
psycho‐oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.41
H-Index - 137
eISSN - 1099-1611
pISSN - 1057-9249
DOI - 10.1002/pon.2960030107
Subject(s) - terminal cancer , palliative care , incidence (geometry) , cancer pain , population , medicine , cancer , ethical issues , demography , environmental health , nursing , sociology , engineering , engineering ethics , optics , physics
Pain is one of the major problems in advanced cancer patients. Reports of prevalence studies show an incidence ranging 25–90% in the terminal period (Bonica, 19080). Since the population is aging, the magnitude of this problem is growing large. The problem is greater due to the fact that palliative care is a neglected area; several million cancer patients suffer needlessly every day, making undertreatment of pain an ethical issue.