Pain in Cancer Survivors

The purpose of this study is to find out about the pain and quality of life of individuals who are adult cancer survivors. By quality of life, we mean how you are feeling about different aspects of your life, including your physical health, your emotional health, and your ability to carry out daily activities. We are interested in people's opinions about their quality of life, as well as the factors that affect their quality of life. In addition, learning about pain will help us to develop new services for adult cancer survivors.

The main objective of the proposed study is to identify the prevalence of persistent pain in a sample of adult cancer survivors. Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive information about pain in the cancer survivor population. Although prior studies have assessed pain syndromes in breast and lung cancer survivors (e.g., post-mastectomy and post-thoracotomy pain), there is a lack of information about the prevalence and characteristics of post-treatment pain in other subpopulations of survivors. To address this knowledge gap, a random sample of cancer survivors who are from 1 to 10 years post-treatment completion and who were treated at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center will complete a telephone-administered pain interview and assessment battery focusing on pain, quality of life, and psychological distress. Our initial recruitment and evaluation will begin in 50 breast cancer survivors and then will expand 50 survivors in each of the other services Colorectal, Genitourinary, Head and Neck, and Thoracic in allotments of 50 participants each. We estimate that the completion time for the interview and assessment battery will range from 45 to 60 minutes. This telephone-based survey will identify vulnerable subgroups of patients with persistent pain and provide a knowledge base for future research on the prevalence and risk factors for post-treatment pain in the cancer survivor population.