Intensity, location, and quality of pain in Spanish-speaking children with cancer.

Spanish speaking children with cancer were asked to describe their pain during the previous week prior to an oncology clinic appointment. Data showed that 41% of the children were experiencing pain and the overall mean pain intensity rating among these children was 5.7 +/- 2.7. Among those children with moderate to severe pain, the most frequently marked locations on the body outline diagram was the abdomen (53.8%), lower back (46.2%), and upper chest (30.8%). The higher percentage of children complaining of abdominal pain may be attributed to the high percentage (63.6%) of children reporting oral chemotherapy at home. Some children experienced pain that was unrecognized and undetected, and therefore were not receiving medications. To minimize the risk of under-treatment of pain, children and parents may be taught to use the Spanish version of the Adolescent Pediatric Pain Tool to communicate the child's pain to clinicians.