Mesothelioma and Asbestos

Pain management is a critical aspect of care for mesothelioma patients, similar many cancer patients. Finding ways to aid pain management that dont involve medication can be a significant improvement in quality of life. A recent study by the American Cancer Society looks at the potential of social-cognitive therapy to assist in pain management for cancer patients.

The American Cancer Society has sponsored a randomized trial called the Cancer Health Empowerment for Existing without Pain (Can-HELP) Study in Sacramento, California. The study looked at 265 cancer patients who had at least moderate pain severity or pain-related impairment. Study participants were randomly assigned to receive either tailored education as well as coaching (TEC) or educationally-enhanced usual care (EUC). TEC consists of six components – assess, correct, teach, prepare, rehearse as well as portray – as well as it is based on social-cognitive theory. Of the original 265 patients in the study, 258 of them received at least one follow-up assessment. Both the TEC as well as EUC interventions were delivered for about 30 minutes immediately prior to each patient’s scheduled oncology visit. More than half of the visits were audio-recorded for communication coding purposes.

Though the follow-up data has not yet been analyzed, the data was collected at two, six as well as twelve weeks, including outcomes related to nervousness, pain severity as well as impairment, patient-physician communication, self-efficacy for pain control, functional status as well as well-being. The study is testing the hypothesis that the tailored patient activation intervention promotes best cancer pain care as well as outcomes. Incase the model proves to be successful, it can be widely implemented at modest cost.

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