Acute and chronic pain management in palliative cave

Every palliative care patient should have the expectation that acute and ch ronic pain management will be an integral part of their overall care. Howev er, in all too many instances, the pain of cancer is often grossly under-tr eated. This issue is of concern because more than 80% of patients with canc er pain can find adequate relief through the use of simple pharmacological methods. It is even more troubling to note that women and minority groups h ave their cancer pain under-treated more frequently. Physicians with the ba sic skills of assessment and treatment will be able to control the symptoms in the majority of cancer pain patients. However, there are still some pat ients who may require other modalities to control their moderate to severe pain. A thorough understanding of all pain management options will help the gynaecological oncologist to maintain an acceptable quality of life for th eir patients throughout the therapeutic and palliative phases of care.