ArticleBMC cancer2021
Variations in pain prevalence, severity, and analgesic use by duration of survivorship: a cross-sectional study of 505 post-treatment head and neck cancer survivors.
Article in BMC cancer, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 19 citations in OpenAlex.
- Technical guideline for intra-prepontine cisternal drug delivery via spinal puncture through subarachnoid catheterization.Zhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences · 2024Guideline
- Mental Health Risk Factors for Postoperative Pain in Head and Neck Free Flap Reconstruction Patients.Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery · 2026Article
- Cancer-related pain in head and neck cancer survivors: longitudinal findings from the Head and Neck 5000 clinical cohort.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2025Article
- Pre-adaptative and adaptative management of multimorphic cancer pain: the keys to optimizing the patient's journey.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Diet Quality and Dietary Intake in Breast Cancer Survivors Suffering from Chronic Pain: An Explorative Case-Control Study.Nutrients · 2024Article
- The effects of opioid tapering on select endocrine measures in men and women with head and neck cancer-a longitudinal 12-month study.Pain reports · 2024Article
- Examination of Predictors of Pain at 12 Months Postdiagnosis in Head and Neck Cancer Survivors.Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery · 2023Observational
- Facial pain, health-related quality of life and trismus-related symptoms up to 5 years post-radiotherapy for head and neck cancer.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023Article
- Systematic Review of Genetic Polymorphisms Associated with Acute Pain Induced by Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancers.Clinical and translational radiation oncology · 2023Review
- Update on Prevalence of Pain in Patients with Cancer 2022: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.Cancers · 2023Review
- Characteristics of Pain and Factors Associated with Fatigue among First-Diagnosed Solid Malignancy Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study.Indian journal of palliative careArticle
- Prevalence of pain in a sample of long-term survivors of head and neck cancer.American journal of otolaryngologyObservational
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundStudies suggest a high prevalence of pain in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients at diagnosis, during and after treatment; however, these studies had small sample sizes and did not comprehensively assess factors known to influence pain. We surveyed a large cohort of HNC survivors to determine variations in the prevalence of pain, its treatment and management by duration of survivorship, and assessed a comprehensive list of risk factors.
methodsA cross sectional survey of post-treatment survivors of HNC during routine follow-up clinic visits.
resultsA total of 505 HNC survivors with a median follow up of 3 years from cancer diagnosis were included in the study. Overall, 45% (n = 224) reported pain and 14.5, 22 and 7% reported use of prescribed pain medication, over-the-counter pain medication and alternative pain therapies, respectively. Prevalence of severe pain was 7.3% and did not vary significantly by years of survivorship (< 1 year = 5.7%; 1 to < 3 years = 7.1%; 3 to < 8 years = 7.6%; 8 years or more =9.7%; P = 0.392). However, use of prescribed pain medication significantly varied by years of survivorship (< 1 year = 45.7%; 1 to < 3 years = 24.6%; 3 to < 8 years = 18.9; 8 years or more = 18.3%; p < 0.001). Of note, a significant proportion of survivors reported moderate to severe pain (moderate to severe = 55.7% versus none to mild = 44.3%) despite step 3 analgesic use (p < 0.001). Multivariable regression shows that recurrent disease (OR 6.77, 95% CI [1.44, 31.80]), history of chemotherapy (OR 6.00, 95% CI [2.10, 17.14]), and depression (Mild-moderate OR 5.30, 95% CI [2.20, 12.78]; Major OR 8.00, 95% CI [2.67, 23.96]) were significant risk factors for severe pain.
conclusionsWe identified a high prevalence of pain among HNC survivors and determined that analgesic use varied by the duration of survivorship. Therefore, routine surveillance for pain must be consistent throughout the course of survivorship.
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