Non-White Women More Prone to Breast Cancer Pain

Non-White Women More Prone to Breast Cancer Pain
MONDAY, Nov. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Non-white women are morelikely than white women to suffer severe pain linked to metastatic breastcancer, according to a study looking at more than 1,100 patients in 19countries.
The women -- all with metastatic breast cancer and bone metastases --were given a pain test called the Brief Pain Inventory repeatedly over oneyear. The test uses a scale of zero to 10 to rate pain severity, with 10being the most severe.
Non-white women reached a pain level of seven or higher much soonerduring the year than white women. A score of seven or higher indicatessevere pain. Inactivity and preceding radiation treatment were otherpredictors for greater pain, the researchers concluded.
These findings confirm previous studies that non-whites are at highestrisk for undertreatment of pain, including inadequate dosing and pooraccess to medication, said Dr. Liana Castel of the University of NorthCaroline at Chapel Hill and her co-authors. They also noted thatracial/ethnic minority patients have been shown to be more likely to diefrom breast cancer.
The study authors said more research is required to determine andcorrect the reasons for these racial disparities, and "clinicians shoulduse information about known risk factors to inform more aggressive andearlier intervention among non-Caucasian women with metastatic breastcancer."
The study was expected to be published in the Jan. 1 issue of thejournal Cancer.
More information
Breastcancer.org has more about breast cancer-related pain.