As many as eighty percent of patients with cancer experience pain as a result of their disease and treatment, with pain intensity increasing with severity of cancer in the individual. Research suggests that minorities are consistently under treated for pain. Due to high mortality rates from cancer among American Indians (Al), it can be concluded that many Als with cancer suffer from poorly managed pain. While there is an existing body of knowledge about other minority groups and cancer pain, pain in Als remains poorly understood. Research that clarifies the cancer pain experience for Als would assist in improving the quality of life for Als living with cancer and cancer-related pain. The purpose of this study is to explore the cancer pain experience in a population of Als in northern New Mexico. Part of understanding the experience includes exploring barriers to pain management as seen by both the patient and the care provider. In this study, the researcher will interview Als with cancer living within the Eight Northern Pueblos Intertribal Consortium of Al communities in northern New Mexico, and clinicians and pharmacists to try to understand pain management strategies for Als with cancer in these communities. The findings will help determine barriers to pain management as well as the meaning and significance of pain to the people experiencing it. By interviewing individuals from a variety of different Al communities, the results can be used to develop better strategies for managing cancer pain in these communities. As knowledge of the Al cancer pain experience increases, clinicians will be better prepared to treat their Al cancer patients in a way that is beneficial and culturally appropriate. ? ?
| Haozous, Emily Ann; Knobf, Mary Tish (2013) ""All my tears were gone"": suffering and cancer pain in Southwest American Indians. J Pain Symptom Manage 45:1050-60 |
