Journal of oncology practice
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The prevalence and severity of pain have not been well described among oncology patients in ambulatory care. To better understand the burden of pain among patients with advanced cancer, we examined the prevalence of pain reported during office and treatment visits. ⋯ Younger age, minority race, and recent onset of advanced disease are associated with severe pain among patients with cancer. Recognizing these high-risk groups could inform targeted interventions to address pain care in ambulatory patients with advanced cancer.
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Recent publications have promoted physician-patient communication on cost as a means of decreasing overall spending and minimizing patients' financial burden in oncology. No study has assessed patients' perspectives on cost communication in oncology. We sought to describe oncology patients' attitudes toward cost communication, explore potential predictors for patients' communication preferences, and assess how patients with cancer consider cost when making management decisions. ⋯ Patients' comfort with and desire to discuss cancer costs exceed that of oncologists, suggesting a need to educate oncologists on this important topic. A patient's desire to understand treatment-associated cost does not equate with a desire for cost to influence medical decision making.