Pain Questionnaire

“We work hand-in-hand with our patients and their oncologists to provide comprehensive supportive care and pain management."

Seth Kaufman, MD

Pain can be a devastating part of dealing with cancer and is, in fact, a major health care problem. 30% of patients with cancer have pain at the time of their diagnosis and 65%-85% will develop pain should their disease progress. The interaction of pain and its treatment with other common cancer symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, nausea, etc., magnifies the negative effect of cancer pain. The good news is that pain can almost always be managed. We do not want our patients to become incapacitated by pain or inappropriate medication. For that reason, West Clinic patients enjoy the added advantage of a dedicated Pain Management and Symptom Control team. Dr. Seth Kaufman, a Board Certified Pain Specialist, heads that group and works in concert with each patient's oncologist. Since pain often impacts a patient's family or caregiver network, the approach is to focus on pain control from the total patient perspective – emotional, psychological and social.

Dr. Kaufman and his team will utilize the latest medical advances in Pain Management while incorporating traditional medical approaches with complementary care techniques. Having the Pain and Palliative Care Team based in The West Clinic will allow patients and their families to remain in a familiar and comfortable environment for much of their treatment. Using expert medical management of drugs, Dr. Kaufman will seek to maximize pain control with the minimum amount of intervention and side effects. In addition, the resources and community provider network developed by Wings Cancer Foundation will be accessed for certain Symptom Control and Supportive Care patient needs. Patients may choose to also participate in clinical trials that study the most promising methods of pain control.

If your oncologist feels you would benefit from the Pain Management and Supportive Care program, you will be referred to Dr. Kaufman and his team. Your assessment and treatment will take place in the clinic area where you normally have your appointments. Should the need arise, the pain management needs of our patients will also be taken care of in the hospital.