ReviewCurrent oncology (Toronto, Ont.)2023
The Stigma Surrounding Opioid Use as a Barrier to Cancer-Pain Management: An Overview of Experiences with Fear, Shame, and Poorly Controlled Pain in the Context of Advanced Cancer.
Review in Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
27 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 28 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pain, policy, and the opioid dilemma in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review of access, regulation, and health governance from 1990 to 2024.Health policy and planning · 2026Pooled it
- Opioid conversion in adults with cancer: MASCC-ASCO-AAHPM-HPNA-NICSO guideline.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Guideline
- Changes in opioid prescribing and high-risk co-prescribing after implementation of the 2016 CDC opioid guideline among older adults with and without cancer.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Article
- Smart Dosing, Better Outcomes: An Electronic Medical Record Intervention for Cancer Pain in the Emergency Department.Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians open · 2026Article
- Genetic Modulation of Oxycodone Self-Administration Trajectories: From Initiation to Escalating Burst Patterns.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Understanding pain in malignant mesothelioma: a prospective, longitudinal cohort study.BMC palliative care · 2026Observational
- Racial Disparities in Non-Stigmatized Supportive Care Medication Use in Pancreatic Cancer.Journal of pain and symptom management · 2026Article
- Cannabis stigma and symptom management considerations in cancer survivors: a mixed-methods exploration of patient perspectives.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Observational
- Racial and Ethnic Disparities Associated With the Use of Opioids for Chronic Non-cancer Pain.Cureus · 2026Article
- Genetic modulation of oxycodone self-administration trajectories: from initiation to escalating burst patterns.Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience · 2026Article
- Exploring Acceptance of Pain Management Strategies in Oncology: A Single-Center Cross-Sectional Survey.Journal of pain research · 2026Article
- The unheard pain: why patient-related barriers remain the weakest link in cancer pain management.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding cancer pain management in Southwest China: a two-center cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Identifying Barriers and Facilitators to Pain Management With Buprenorphine for Patients With Kidney Failure: A Thematic Analysis of Interviews With Key Partners.Kidney medicine · 2025Article
- Perceptual Discrepancies of Opioid Analgesics and Psychotropic Drugs: A Cross-Sectional Study of Korean Patients and Physicians.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Challenges in opioid therapy implementation: national survey of palliative care consultation services.BMC palliative care · 2025Article
- Cannabis Stigma and Symptom Management Considerations in Cancer Survivors: A Mixed-Methods Exploration of Patient Perspectives.Research square · 2025Article
- Dangerous Variation or Patient-Centered Care? Palliative Care and Pain Providers' Comfort, Experiences, and Approaches when Treating Cancer Pain With Coexisting Aberrant Behaviors.The American journal of hospice & palliative care · 2025Article
- Associations Among Self-Advocacy, Patient-Centered Communication, Pain Intensity, and Opioid Stigma in Older Adult Female Breast Cancer Survivors.Oncology nursing forum · 2025Article
- Care for patients with cancer and substance use disorders: a qualitative study of oncology team experiences.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Cancer-related pain affects a majority of patients with advanced cancer and is often undertreated. The treatment of this pain is largely reliant on the use of opioids, which are essential medicines for symptom management and the maintenance of quality of life (QoL) for patients with advanced cancer. While there are cancer-specific guidelines for the treatment of pain, widespread publication and policy changes in response to the opioid epidemic have drastically impacted perceptions of opioid use. This overview therefore aims to investigate how manifestations of opioid stigma impact pain management in cancer settings, with an emphasis on the experiences of patients with advanced cancer. Opioid use has been widely stigmatized in multiple domains, including public, healthcare, and patient populations. Physician hesitancy in prescribing and pharmacist vigilance in dispensing were identified as barriers to optimal pain management, and may contribute to stigma in the context of advanced cancer. Evidence in the literature suggests that opioid stigma may result in patient deviations from prescription instructions, which generally leads to pain undertreatment. Patients reflected on experiencing shame and fear surrounding their prescription opioid use and feeling uncomfortable communicating with their healthcare providers on these topics. Our findings indicate that future work is required to educate patients and providers in order to de-stigmatize opioid use. Through alleviating stigma, patients may be better able to make decisions regarding their pain management which lead to freedom from cancer-related pain and improved QoL.
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Registered trials
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.