IntroductionThis essay will aim to examine the main principles of cancer pain management in an acute medicine department in a hospital setting. The reason I chose to examine this question is to expand my knowledge in my chosen field. In this work, I will seek to include the physiological, psychological and sociological aspects of pain management. Pain, which is defined in its broadest sense as an emotion opposed to pleasure (White, 2004, p. 455), is one of the main symptoms of cancer, affecting the majority of patients at some point during their illness (De Conno & Caraceni, 1996, p.8). The World Health Organization (WHO, 2009, online) suggests that pain relief can be achieved in more than 90 percent of patients; however, Fitzgibbon and Loeser (2010, p.190) point out that pain is often undertreated, even in the UK. Foley and Abernathy (2008, p. 2759) identify numerous barriers to effective pain management, including professional barriers such as insufficient knowledge of pain mechanisms, assessment and management strategies. Physiology of Cancer Pain There are different types of pain that can be experienced by someone with cancer, with some patients experiencing only one type of pain, but others experiencing a range of all three types. Identifying the type of pain experienced is the first major step in ensuring effective treatment, as not everyone responds in the same way to different treatments (De Conno & Caraceni, 1996, p.9). Somatic pain is that in which nociceptors in the skin or deep tissues are activated by noxious stimuli. This is usually characterized by a dull, aching, well-localized pain. This type of pain may be commonly experienced by people with metastatic bone pain or those who have...... middle of paper ......newicht and Dunford (2004), physical therapists, occupational therapists, doctors, nurses, specialists Pain teams and dieticians all care for the patient at the same time. Effective treatment of cancer pain is essential to ensure the best outcomes for cancer patients, in terms of physical, psychological and social aspects. Although there are no NICE guidelines for the management of cancer pain, the WHO guidelines should be used to inform clinical practice. Careful assessment is an essential part of the process to ensure that patients are offered the treatment likely to provide the best results, without leading to greater than necessary risk of complications such as opioid tolerance and dependence. The main result highlighted by this article is that “pain is what the patient says it is and exists when he says it exists” (McCaffery 1983 cited in Sofaer 1992 pp.14).