Aims and intended learning outcomes
The aim of this article is to provide an update on cancer
pain focusing on types and causes, assessment and
management strategies. It is intended to help nurses
provide care, information and support to patients and
their families. After reading this article and completing
the time out activities you should be able to:
■■ Describe the different causes of cancer pain.
■■ List the different types of assessment tools available
and summarise the barriers to pain assessment.
■■ Describe approaches to cancer pain management and
explain the principles of the World Health Organization
(WHO) pain ladder (WHO 1996a).
■■ Explain the role of non-pharmacological approaches
to pain