Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41635052›Full record

SynthesisWorldviews on evidence-based nursing2026

Global Prevalence of Chronic Pain Among Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review and Proportional Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.

Pak Kit Wong, Lizhen Wang, Mu-Hsing Ho, Chia-Chin Lin

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-AnalysisReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Worldviews on evidence-based nursing, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 3 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

4 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Review
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.

Pak Kit WongSchool of Nursing, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR.
Lizhen WangSchool of Nursing, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5424-3705
Mu-Hsing HoSchool of Nursing, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9443-4082
Chia-Chin LinSchool of Nursing, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9551-0991

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCancer survivors often receive inadequate pain management, leading to impaired quality of life. Despite their importance, evidence on the global prevalence of chronic pain in cancer survivors remains insufficiently clear.

aimsThe systematic review and proportional meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled global prevalence of chronic pain among cancer survivors and to explore heterogeneity stratified by geographic region, cancer type, pain duration, and pain assessment tool.

methodsFive databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure) were searched up to September 2024 for studies in English or Chinese. The review followed MOOSE and PRISMA guidelines with PROSPERO registration (CRDxx). Studies were included if they reported chronic pain prevalence in cancer survivors using validated instruments or solely reported chronic pain. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed quality using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Analytical Cross-Sectional Studies. Pooled prevalence and 95% prediction intervals were calculated using a random-effects model with Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation. Subgroup analysis was used to explore heterogeneity. Leave-one-out analysis explored robustness. Funnel plot and Egger's test were used to examine publication bias.

resultsIn total, 36 studies involving 39,806 participants were included. The pooled prevalence of chronic pain among cancer survivors was 41% (95% CI: 34%-49%) after testing robustness, with significant heterogeneity (I LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: These findings stress the need for more extensive and tailored chronic pain management in current clinical practice. Additional research on chronic pain outcomes among pediatric cancer survivors, cancer populations within Africa and South America, and those with cancer types other than breast cancer is needed. TRAIL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO Registration: CRD42024597090.

Indexed as

Cancer SurvivorsChronic PainHumansObservational Studies as TopicPrevalenceQuality of Lifecancer survivorschronic painprevalenceproportional meta‐analysissystematic review

Identifiers

PMID41635052
PMCPMC12869016

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.