View clinical trials related to Cancer Pain.
Filter by:'Distress' refers to emotional distress, including psychological distress, in cancer patients. This study aims to explore whether mindfulness-based cognitive-behavioral therapy for cancer patients is effective in relieving distress and to discover neurophysiological factors that contribute to relieving distress. Mindfulness meditation, which is the core of mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy, can develop cognitive flexibility through 'awareness of what is happening now'. In this study, a mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy program is implemented for patients with advanced cancer, and clinical characteristics and conditions including distress level are observed through questionnaires and interviews. In addition, genetic data and brain imaging data are collected through blood sampling and brain magnetic resonance imaging. The ultimate goal of this study is to prove the therapeutic efficacy of a mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy program for distress of patients with advanced cancer through an in-depth and multifaceted integrated approach, and to understand the related neurophysiological mechanisms.
As seen worldwide, cancer incidence is increasing in Latin America achieving an amount of 1.3 million new cases annually.1 In addition, it is expected that up to 70% of patients with cancer will experience pain2, one of the most distressing symptoms in patients with advanced cancer. And despite of advances in cancer therapies, opioids remain the mainstay treatment of cancer-related moderate-to-severe and end-of-life pain.3 However, concerns regarding opioid prescriptions have emerged for reasons like the risk of misuse and the possibility of cancer progression. In the last decades, an increase in consumption of opioids as well as in opioids-related deaths generating the so called 'opioid crisis'. This rise is mainly due to abuse / addiction of opioids. Consequently, oncologic patients are at risk for abuse, as well as for aberrant use, which can complicate the course of cancer treatment.4 5 Another feature of opioids use in cancer patients is that it may contribute to disease progression. Experimental studies suggest that opioids can may lead to immunosuppression and tumor progression or recurrence.6-8 On the other hand, retrospective analysis of clinical data shows conflicting results and trials are lacking.