[Update on oncological pain in the elderly]

Abstract

Pain is a prevalent symptom in cancer geriatric patients, appearing in up to 90% of patients with terminal cancer. This requires a multidimensional approach, as there is a high percentage of inappropriate assessments and treatments. Unrecognized or poorly treated pain in the geriatric population, especially in cancer patients, leads to the development of disabling symptoms such as depression, anxiety, isolation, sleep disturbances, and appetite, and very especially, loss of functional capacity and quality of life. In this review an analysis is made on the most relevant studies on the diagnosis and management of cancer pain in the geriatric population.

Keywords: Cancer pain assessment; Cancer pain management; Dolor oncológico; Geriatric cancer pain; Geriatric patient; Manejo del dolor oncológico; Paciente geriátrico; Valoración del dolor oncológico.