Contributing factors in pain relief for cancer patients.

Twenty-eight cancer patients in whom pain was a problem were interviewed over a seven week period. At the end of the period, 11 patients were still suffering the same amount of pain (moderate to severe pain as measured by the Distress Score Method of Marks and Sacher). The reasons for this include medication, the patients' attitude to drugs, mental confusion and other psychosocial problems. We propose that most of the problems would be solved by individualizing therapy and giving drugs regularly in adequate dosage.