Patients fear cancer pain, and for those suffering from it, the range of difficulties it causes can undermine the quality of their lives. But new hope in effectively managing cancer pain was announced recently by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and American Cancer Society, which last week issued new patient guidelines developed by a national committee chaired by Stuart Grossman of Hopkins.

The guidelines were designed to help patients understand what can be done to alleviate their pain and provide helpful ways to communicate with their health providers so that their caregivers better understand the extent of a person's pain.

"Cancer pain can be managed very effectively," says Grossman, professor of oncology and director of the Hopkins Cancer Pain Service. "The key is measurement of the pain. Every patient is different, and their pain management needs must be evaluated individually." The new guidelines, he adds, are an important tool to help patients and their families work with their health-care providers to understand the nature of their cancer pain, dispel common myths and misperceptions such as addiction and make known the various treatment options.

Requests for guidelines can be e-mailed to patientinformation@nccn.org. To learn more about the Oncology Center's Cancer Pain Service, go to http://hopkinscancercenter.org/programs/pain.cfm.