New European patient survey backs expert call for greater clinical consensus on breakthrough cancer pain

Further results from the European Survey of Breakthrough Cancer Pain were presented for the first time yesterday at the 6th Research Congress of the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) in Glasgow, Scotland, show that up to 45% of cancer patients experiencing breakthrough pain do not adhere to medication despite suffering from devastating episodes. The survey is the first international survey to look in detail at breakthrough cancer pain (BTCP) from a patient perspective.

The European Survey, which is supported by an educational grant from independent Swiss drugmaker Nycomed, is continuing to recruit patients in Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland

"The low adherence to drug therapy is a remarkable discovery and demonstrates that current treatments aren't adequately meeting patients' needs during these incapacitating episodes of pain," explained Andrew Davies of Department of Palliative Medicine, Royal Marsden Hospital, UK and the principal investigator of this survey.