EONS launches new initiative to improve pain management for cancer patients

The European Oncology Nursing Society launches first European nurse initiative to examine current practices in breakthrough cancer pain and look at ways of improving patient outcomes in palliative care

The Breakthrough Cancer Pain Initiative is a nurse-driven initiative launched with the purpose of improving breakthrough pain management for cancer patients.

"Patient surveys have shown that breakthrough cancer pain is under-recognised, sub-optimally treated and therefore subject of intense patient discomfort. We believe that oncology nurses have an important role in identifying and managing Breakthrough Cancer Pain and with this initiative we hope to make oncology nurses across Europe realise that and bring their skills into play," says Yvonne Wengstr-m, Associated Prof. of Cancer Nursing at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm and former president of EONS.

To drive the Breakthrough Cancer Pain Initiative, a European working group of oncology nurses with a special interest in palliative care has been formed. As a first step the working group has prepared a survey that will look into the general understanding of Breakthrough Cancer Pain amongst oncology nurses, confidence in treating these episodes, examples of best practice as well as gaps in current practice.

A multidisciplinary advisory group of recognised international experts in the field of Breakthrough Cancer Pain provides further expertise to the development of the survey and provides insights on Breakthrough Cancer Pain based on their knowledge within palliative care in general and Breakthrough Cancer Pain in particular.

"The survey will provide valuable information about any knowledge gaps and whether there is a need for further education. Based on this information the second stage of this project will involve the Breakthrough Cancer Pain Working Group considering what materials could be developed to best help the nursing community to improve the outcome of Breakthrough Cancer Pain management," says Jenske Geerling, oncology nurse at the University Medical Center at Groningen, The Netherlands and member of the Breakthrough Cancer Pain Working Group.

The survey, which is the first of its kind, will run over the next couples of weeks in The Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, The Netherlands, and The UK. The countries have been carefully selected in order to provide a broad platform for examining palliative care nursing practice across Europe.

"Assessment and management of breakthrough cancer pain depends on the education and knowledge of the healthcare team, especially nurses, who work closely with patients and their families. This survey should pinpoint the needs and will lead to improvements in the management of breakthrough cancer pain," says Associate Professor Sultan Kav, President of EONS.

The need for an initiative like this is recognised by the international palliative care committee formed with the purpose of improving palliative care for cancer patients:

"An initiative like this is very important. Supportive and palliative care is far from fully integrated into medical oncology practice. Variations in cancer pain intensity are highly prevalent, yet the phenomenon of Breakthrough Cancer Pain is not well understood. Hopefully this initiative will lead to a better understanding of these episodes and how they are best managed to the benefit of cancer patients across Europe," says Dr. Nathan Cherny, Chair of The Palliative Care Working Group (PCWG) under ESMO.