Prevalence and severity of pain in cancer patients in an outpatient palliative care setting in Saudi Arabia

Background: The prevalence and severity of cancer pain in the outpatient palliative care (PC) setting have not been explored previously in Saudi Arabia (SA). Exploration of this basic information may help in evaluating pain severity in patients new to PC as compared to those with previous PC exposure. Objective: This paper aims to determine the prevalence and severity of cancer pain among new and follow-up patients attending a PC outpatient clinic. Methods: In a PC outpatient setting in a major tertiary hospital in SA, we interviewed adult patients with cancer during their attendance to the clinic. Patients were requested to score the severity of their pain on a 0 to 10 numerical scale. Results: A total of 124 patients were interviewed, of whom 73 (59%) were females. The majority of patients (82.3%) had metastatic disease. The most common cancers were breast (27.4%) and head and neck (15.3%). The majority of patients (85.5%) reported pain, with a median intensity score of 5 and a mean of 4.6. Of those who reported pain, 54 (51%) scored above 4. The mean pain score did not differ between groups of patients according to various characteristics such as age, sex, performance status, type of cancer or encounter type. Conclusion: Pain is a prevalent symptom in new and follow-up cancer patients seen in a PC outpatient setting in SA. Further research on a larger scale is needed to evaluate the magnitude of the problem more comprehensively with emphasis on detailed pain assessment and exploration of the adopted management approaches.