Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36765547›Full record

ReviewCancers2023

Update on Prevalence of Pain in Patients with Cancer 2022: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.

Rolf A H Snijders, Linda Brom, Maurice Theunissen, Marieke H J van den Beuken-van Everdingen

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Cancers, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 239 papers, 14 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
239citing papers in PubMed, 14 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

239 citing papers in PubMed, 14 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Cannabinoids and opioid consumption in cancer pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
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  5. The use of tramadol for cancer-associated pain-a systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Pooled it
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  8. Spinal analgesia in cancer pain management-MASCC general practice recommendations.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Guideline
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  10. Analgesic efficacy of non-invasive neuromodulation techniques in chronic cancer pain: a systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
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179 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Rolf A H SnijdersNetherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL), Department of Research & Development, 3511 DT Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Linda BromNetherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL), Department of Research & Development, 3511 DT Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Maurice TheunissenCentre of Expertise for Palliative Care, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-1700-406X
Marieke H J van den Beuken-van EverdingenCentre of Expertise for Palliative Care, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-2446-2862

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Experiencing pain and insufficient relief can be devastating and negatively affect a patient's quality of life. Developments in oncology such as new treatments and adjusted pain management guidelines may have influenced the prevalence of cancer pain and severity in patients. This review aims to provide an overview of the prevalence and severity of pain in cancer patients in the 2014-2021 literature period. A systematic literature search was performed using the databases PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and Cochrane. Titles and abstracts were screened, and full texts were evaluated and assessed on methodological quality. A meta-analysis was performed on the pooled prevalence and severity rates. A meta-regression analysis was used to explore differences between treatment groups. We identified 10,637 studies, of which 444 studies were included. The overall prevalence of pain was 44.5%. Moderate to severe pain was experienced by 30.6% of the patients, a lower proportion compared to previous research. Pain experienced by cancer survivors was significantly lower compared to most treatment groups. Our results imply that both the prevalence of pain and pain severity declined in the past decade. Increased attention to the assessment and management of pain might have fostered the decline in the prevalence and severity of pain.

Indexed as

cancer painmeta-analysismeta-regressionprevalencesystematic review

Identifiers

PMID36765547
PMCPMC9913127

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.