Hospice Effectiveness in Controlling Pain

Terminal cancer patients were randomly assigned to receive comprehensive hospice care or traditional medical care. Patients were followed up for two years or until death. Pain was measured by the McGill Pain Scale. Frequency and intensity of cancer-related symptoms were also noted. Over the course of the study, 34% of hospice patients and 21% of control patients never reported pain. No significant differences between the two groups could be detected in either the proportion of patients with pain at any time or the intensity of pain. Neither were there differences in the intensity or frequency of cancer-related symptoms. The presence of pain was associated with the presence of other symptoms; a significant correlation was found between the levels of depression and anxiety and pain scores.