ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2021
Pain or fatigue: which correlates more with suffering in hospitalized cancer patients?
Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- Technology-Based Music Interventions to Reduce Anxiety and Pain Among Patients Undergoing Surgery or Procedures: Systematic Review of the Literature.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2024Pooled it
- Evaluating the measurement properties of the Hindi Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale (IPOS) in advanced cancer patients receiving home-based palliative care in India.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- A cross-national analysis of sociodemographic variation in suffering across 22 countries.Communications medicine · 2025Article
- Psychometric properties of the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) in adult Mexican cancer patients with chronic pain.Palliative & supportive care · 2025Article
- Impact of worst pain severity and morning fatigue profiles on oncology outpatients' symptom burden and quality of life.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2022Article
- Are depression and suffering distinct? An empirical analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe association of pain and suffering seems intuitive, but evidence substantiating this association is lacking. In studies of cancer patients, fatigue, rather than pain, is the most prevalent and debilitating symptom. This study aimed to compare the correlation of pain and fatigue to suffering, and identify other potential sources of suffering in cancer patients treated in a palliative care unit.
methodsOne hundred fifty cancer patients were surveyed. Fifteen variables were measured on a 0- to 10-point scale: suffering, pain, level of acceptable pain, effect of pain on quality of life, fatigue, level of acceptable fatigue, effect of fatigue on quality of life, and specific types of suffering. Univariable associations with suffering were made with Pearson correlation (continuous variables) or t test (binary predictors). Multivariable associations with suffering were assessed with linear regression analysis and bootstrapping.
resultsIn multivariable analysis, highest pain (parameter estimate 0.38) had a greater impact on suffering than highest fatigue (parameter estimate 0.21). When other variables were assessed, 38% of the variability in suffering was accounted for by pain "now", fatigue in the past 24 hours, and age.
conclusionThe most important predictors of greater suffering in hospitalized cancer patients are pain, younger age, and fatigue. Despite their significant effect on suffering, other underlying contributors to suffering have yet to be identified. Designing interventions to reduce fatigue, in addition to pain management, may help in alleviating overall suffering.
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