Pain assessment
Thorough pain assessment is essential to
define pain (both its cause and type) and direct
treatment. The aim of assessment is to diagnose
the underlying cause of pain and its effect on the
patient. Pain should be assessed regularly and
systematically with a validated pain assessment
tool. Assessment is not a one-off process; cancer
pain is dynamic and may change in response to
treatment or disease progression. Pain should be
assessed to establish a baseline measure before any
treatment intervention is initiated or changes to
treatment regimens are made, and then reassessed
after the intervention to measure effectiveness. Use
of pain intensity assessment scales enables patients
to quantify a baseline measure of pain, which
is important for monitoring their response to
treatment. Examples of pain intensity assessment
scales include the Numerical Rating Scale (0-10),
Verbal Rating Scale (none, mild, moderate, severe,
very severe), pain thermometer scales (Figure 1)
and Faces Pain Scale (Fink and Gates 2006,
Herr et al 2007).