UICC World Cancer Congress 2006

Objective:Patients (pts) with gastrointestinal (GIT) cancers suffer from many symptoms during their disease (1-25). Pain is the most prevalent symptom and occurs in 70-90% of pts with advanced cancer. The aim of this study was to compare the pain prevalence in elderly cancer pts versus younger cancer pts.

Methods:During 5 years period we examined 946 pts with cancer of GIT site in our hospital.

Results:676 of them (71,46%) expressed pain. 120 females and 172 males (292) were elderly with mean age of 77,4±3,2 years. In this group the most common pain was moderate (128 pts-43,84%). 384 younger pts had mean age of 63,2±4,1 years and also mostly expressed moderate pain. In elderly group 165 (56,51%) of pts respected prescribed pain therapy versus 291 (75,78%) in younger group. Elderly preferred transdermal opioid system for pain relief. There was no difference in pain expression according to age, gender and tumor site. Younger pts respected more pain therapy than elderly. Elderly preferred transdermal opioid system for pain therapy.