Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37700229›Full record

ArticleBMC cancer2023

Pain and its interference with daily living in relation to cancer: a comparative population-based study of 16,053 cancer survivors and 106,345 people without cancer.

Grace Joshy, Saman Khalatbari-Soltani, Kay Soga, Phyllis Butow, Rebekah Laidsaar-Powell, Bogda Koczwara, Nicole M Rankin, Sinan Brown, Marianne Weber, Carolyn Mazariego and 6 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC cancer, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 29 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
29citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
6.0field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
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

29 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. The association among psychological factors, pain severity and quality of life in people living beyond adolescent and young adult cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Cancer pain.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2026
    Review
  5. Article
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  7. Relationship between spiritual pain, physical pain, and existential wellbeing among cancer patients: a correlational study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Factors associated with pain among rural cancer survivors: Findings from an Australian longitudinal study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    Article
  11. Pain interfering with daily life in patients with cancer: stronger associations with anxiety and emotional distress than with pain intensity.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    Observational
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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

16 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Grace JoshyNational Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health (NCEPH), The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia. Grace.Joshy@anu.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0718-6368
Saman Khalatbari-SoltaniSydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Kay SogaNational Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health (NCEPH), The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
Phyllis ButowCentre for Medical Psychology and Evidence-Based Decision-Making (CeMPED), School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Rebekah Laidsaar-PowellCentre for Medical Psychology and Evidence-Based Decision-Making (CeMPED), School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Bogda KoczwaraFlinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Nicole M RankinSydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Sinan BrownNational Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health (NCEPH), The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
Marianne WeberThe Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, a joint venture with Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Carolyn MazariegoSchool of Population Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Paul GroganThe Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, a joint venture with Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
John StubbsIndependent Cancer Consumer Advisor, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Stefan ThottunkalNational Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health (NCEPH), The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
Karen CanfellThe Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, a joint venture with Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Fiona M BlythSydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Emily BanksNational Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health (NCEPH), The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
The University of Sydney · AUAustralian National University · AUCancer Australia · AUFlinders University · AUUNSW Sydney · AU

Funding

Australian Research Council CE170100005National Health and Medical Research Council 1136128National Health and Medical Research Council 1139539National Health and Medical Research Council 1194679
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPain is a common, debilitating, and feared symptom, including among cancer survivors. However, large-scale population-based evidence on pain and its impact in cancer survivors is limited. We quantified the prevalence of pain in community-dwelling people with and without cancer, and its relation to physical functioning, psychological distress, and quality of life (QoL).

methodsQuestionnaire data from participants in the 45 and Up Study (Wave 2, n = 122,398, 2012-2015, mean age = 60.8 years), an Australian population-based cohort study, were linked to cancer registration data to ascertain prior cancer diagnoses. Modified Poisson regression estimated age- and sex-adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) for bodily pain and pain sufficient to interfere with daily activities (high-impact pain) in people with versus without cancer, for 13 cancer types, overall and according to clinical, personal, and health characteristics. The relation of high-impact pain to physical and mental health outcomes was quantified in people with and without cancer.

resultsOverall, 34.9% (5,436/15,570) of cancer survivors and 31.3% (32,471/103,604) of participants without cancer reported bodily pain (PR = 1.07 [95% CI = 1.05-1.10]), and 15.9% (2,468/15,550) versus 13.1% (13,573/103,623), respectively, reported high-impact pain (PR = 1.13 [1.09-1.18]). Pain was greater with more recent cancer diagnosis, more advanced disease, and recent cancer treatment. High-impact pain varied by cancer type; compared to cancer-free participants, PRs were: 2.23 (1.71-2.90) for multiple myeloma; 1.87 (1.53-2.29) for lung cancer; 1.06 (0.98-1.16) for breast cancer; 1.05 (0.94-1.17) for colorectal cancer; 1.04 (0.96-1.13) for prostate cancer; and 1.02 (0.92-1.12) for melanoma. Regardless of cancer diagnosis, high-impact pain was strongly related to impaired physical functioning, psychological distress, and reduced QoL.

conclusionsPain is common, interfering with daily life in around one-in-eight older community-dwelling participants. Pain was elevated overall in cancer survivors, particularly for certain cancer types, around diagnosis and treatment, and with advanced disease. However, pain was comparable to population levels for many common cancers, including breast, prostate and colorectal cancer, and melanoma.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsCancer SurvivorsColorectal NeoplasmsMelanomaAustraliaCohort StudiesHumansMaleMiddle AgedPainQuality of LifeCancerHigh-impact painPainPain interferencePhysical functioningPsychological distressQuality of life

Identifiers

PMID37700229
PMCPMC10498633
OpenAlexW4386648543

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.