Lifetime Pain Management Experiences of Female Breast Cancer Survivors Aged 65+ Years.
Karen E Alsbrook, Susan W Wesmiller, Emilia J Diego and 6 others
PMID 39242233WHAT IT FOUND
Older breast cancer survivors described clear care team communication and education as positive for pain management.
All participants reported ineffective care team interactions. Some participants reported fragmented follow-up, opioid stigma, or chronic pain complicating care.
Key findings
01All 21 participants reported ineffective care team interactions as a challenge to pain management.
02Seventeen participants (81%) reported using complementary modalities, such as ice, heat, topical analgesics, massage, physical therapy, or yoga.
03Eighteen participants (86%) reported attitudes contributing to opioid stigma, and 19 (90%) said chronic comorbid conditions complicated pain management.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Participants were selected from a parent cohort and had to have reported at least moderate pain. Their experiences may not represent all older breast cancer survivors. Pain was not required to be caused by breast cancer or its treatment. The study could not definitively determine whether pain was new, a treatment effect, or an exacerbation of another condition. Interviews relied on recall of events years before surgery and lifetime experiences. Some participants failed to recall pain mitigation strategies. The study reports themes from a small purposive sample at affiliated hospitals. It cannot show whether any pain management strategy works.
Declared interests
The authors declared no known competing financial interests or personal relationships. Publication types note NIH extramural research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that nurse-led coordination or pain education improves pain outcomes. This study describes older breast cancer survivors' past experiences and themes, not tested interventions, so it cannot show that any action by nurses caused better pain control.