Management of Cancer Pain: Current Guidelines

STATEMENT OF NEED

Patients with cancer often suffer from a range of symptoms that negatively impact their quality of life. Among the most significant of these symptoms is pain, which can be caused by surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, diagnostic procedures, and/or supportive care measures. Between 20% and 50% of patients with cancer experience pain, including moderate-to-severe pain in approximately 80% of patients with advanced-stage cancer (NCI, 2023). Despite awareness and a wide range of intervention options, cancer pain is still often undertreated, and many patients do not obtain complete relief (NCCN, 2023). Therefore, it is crucial to have a multidisciplinary team that can perform a thorough assessment and employ effective strategies for reducing pain. This activity will provide an overview of the pathophysiology of cancer pain and explore emerging concepts in pharmacological management to improve quality of life. 

TARGET AUDIENCE

Oncology nurses, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and other healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of patients with cancer.

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Appraise the pathophysiology of cancer pain and the principles of pain management
• Evaluate, assess, and classify patients with cancer pain
• Apply emerging concepts in pharmacological and non-pharmacological management of cancer pain

Provided by

JOINTLY ACCREDITED PROVIDER

In support of improving patient care, i3 Health is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Nursing Continuing Professional Development 

A maximum of 1.0 ANCC contact hour may be earned by learners who successfully complete this nursing continuing professional development activity.

Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 15824, for 1.0 ANCC contact hour.

ONCC RECERTIFICATION

The program content has been reviewed by the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) and is acceptable for recertification points.

ONCC review is only for designating content to be used for recertification points and is not for NCPD accreditation. NCPD programs must be formally approved for contact hours by an acceptable accreditor/approver of NCPD to be used for recertification by ONCC. If the NCPD provider fails to obtain formal approval to award contact hours by an acceptable accrediting/approval body, no information related to ONCC recertification may be used in relation to the program. OCN®, CPHON®, CBCN®, AOCNP®, AOCNS®, and BMTCN® renewal candidates may apply 1 ILNA point toward:

• Early Post-Transplant Management and Education (BMTCN®)
• Nursing Practice (CBCN®)
• Quality of Life (BMTCN®)
• Symptom Management, Palliative Care, Supportive Care (OCN®, CPHON®, AOCNP®)

Please note that some of the course content applies to multiple content areas. The numerical value above indicates the maximum amount of points that can be claimed in each domain. The total amount of ILNA points claimed may not exceed the total amount of NCPD awarded from this course.

DISCLOSURE OF RELEVANT FINANCIAL INFORMATION WITH INELIGIBLE COMPANIES

i3 Health endorses the standards of the ACCME, ANCC, and ACPE that require everyone in a position to control the content of a NCPD activity to disclose all financial relationships with ineligible companies that are related to the content of the NCPD activity. NCPD activities must be balanced, independent of commercial bias, and promote improvements or quality in healthcare. All recommendations involving clinical medicine must be based on evidence accepted within the medical profession. A conflict of interest is created when an individual has an opportunity to affect CME/NCPD content about products or services of an ineligible company with which he/she has a financial relationship, which therefore may bias their opinions and teaching. This may include receiving a salary, royalty, intellectual property rights, consulting fee, honoraria, stocks, or other financial benefits.

i3 Health will identify, review, and mitigate all relevant financial relationships that speakers, authors, or planners disclose prior to an educational activity being delivered to learners. Disclosure of a relationship is not intended to suggest or condone bias in any presentation but is made to provide participants with information that might be of potential importance to their evaluation of a presentation. i3 Health does not endorse any products or services.

Relevant financial relationships exist between the following individuals and ineligible companies:

• Eden E. D. Maack, PhD, has no relevant financial relationships to disclose
• i3 Health staff members and the peer/content reviewer for this activity have no relevant financial relationships to disclose

UNAPPROVED USE DISCLOSURE

i3 Health requires NCPD faculty to disclose to participants when products or procedures being discussed are off-label, unlabeled, experimental, and/or investigational (not FDA approved), as well as any limitations on the information that is presented, such as data that are preliminary or that represent ongoing research, interim analyses, and/or unsupported opinion. Faculty will not discuss information about pharmaceutical agents that is outside of FDA approved labeling. This information is intended solely for educational purposes and is not intended to promote off-label use of these medications. If you have questions, contact the medical affairs department of the manufacturer for the most recent prescribing information.

DISCLAIMER

The information provided in this NCPD activity is for continuing education purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the independent medical/clinical judgment of a healthcare provider relative to diagnostic and treatment options of a specific patient’s medical condition.