MORPHINIC THERAPY - ASSESSMENT OF PATIENT S INFORMATION

Pain is frequent in the course of cancer and can have negative consequ ences an patients quality of life. The great majority of patients can be helped by simple treatments. The prescription of morphine (M) must be preceded by some explanations. In order to verify the reality of th ese explanations, a study was done in a 230 comprehensive beds Cancer Centre, with 129 patients, randomized between all the patients hospita lized. In an open questionnaire, different aspects were studied. One h undred answers were studied 63 patients did not have M at any time: gr oup M; 37 patients had M (19) or have had M (18): group M+; 97% of the patients in group M+ thought that M decreased pain, for 85% patients in group M-. Morphine treatment was effective in 92% of patients M+, a nd not very effective in 5%; 67% of patients M- thought than M is effi cient, but 17% did not know 76% of patients M+ did not worry about M; 13% worried et 11% did not know. For patients M- only 48% did not worr y; 41% worried and 11% did not know. The side effect known by the pati ents, and spontaneously quoted were constipation (12 patients in M+ gr oup). For 14 patients there was no problem and 2 did not know. In M- g roup 43 patients did not know. Only 8% M+ group were afraid by addicti on, but 44% in, group M-; 97% patients M+ said that they could stop wi thout problem against only 38% of the patients in M- group. For 16% of M+ group, the use of M had a bad signification about their disease, b ut 52% M- group thought that if morphine was used in their cases, the meaning would be very bad The differences between the two groups allow to think that the prescription of M in this study is explained and th at the patients receiving M are rather well informed. Patients with ca ncer but without M do not have good information and their Knowledge is similar than general population. The use of recommended therapy and e xplanations allowed patients with M therapy to be comfortable with thi s prescription.