Differences in Attitudes and Practices of Cancer Pain Management between Medical Oncologists and Palliative Care Physicians

This study aimed to evaluate whether there are differences in the attitudes and practices of cancer pain management between medical oncologists and palliative care physicians. An online nationwide survey was used to collect responses from board-certified medical oncologists and palliative care physicians in Japan. The survey questionnaire comprised 30 questions. The differences in responses between medical oncologists and palliative care physicians were examined. Out of the 1,227 questionnaires sent, 522 (42.5%) were returned. After applying the exclusion criteria, 445 questionnaires (medical oncologists: n = 283; palliative care physicians: n = 162) were retained for analysis. Among the questions about potential barriers to optimal cancer pain management, both medical oncologists and palliative care physicians considered the reluctance of patients to take opioids due to fear of adverse effects as the greatest barrier. Significantly different ratings between medical oncologists and palliative care physicians were observed on 5 of the 8 questions in this area. Significantly different ratings were observed for all questions concerning pain specialists and their knowledge. For effective cancer pain management, it is important to account for differences in attitudes and practice between medical oncologists and palliative care physicians.