Experiencing pain may increase the risk that cancer survivors will use cigarettes and cannabis, according to a recent study published by Powers et al in Cancer.
Background
Pain and the use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, alcohol, and cannabis commonly occur together in the general population. Cancer survivors often experience pain.
Study Methods and Results
In the study, investigators analyzed the data from two national samples of patients with past diagnoses of cancer in the United States: 1,252 adult patients from wave six of the 2021 PATH Study and 4,130 adults from the 2020 National Health Interview Survey. They sought to characterize pain in relation to nonopioid substance use specifically among cancer survivors.
In the PATH study, the investigators found that higher past-week pain intensity was associated with a greater likelihood that cancer survivors would use cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and cannabis and a lower likelihood that they would drink alcohol. In the National Health Interview Survey, chronic pain was associated with a greater likelihood of cigarette smoking and a lower likelihood of alcohol use.
The investigators also revealed that cigarette smoking and pain were linked to more treatment-related adverse effects and poorer health among cancer survivors—including fatigue, sleep difficulties, mental and physical health issues, and lower quality of life.
Conclusions
“These findings show that because pain and substance use are interconnected among cancer survivors, it’s important to focus on treating both together in cancer care. Pain can drive substance use, and substance use can worsen pain, creating a cycle that’s hard to break,” said lead study author Jessica M. Powers, PhD, of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. “While cancer survivors might smoke cigarettes or use substances to get immediate relief from their pain and cope with other symptoms, this can be incredibly harmful for their health by reducing the effectiveness of cancer treatments and increasing [the] risk for cancer recurrence,” she concluded.
Disclosure: For full disclosures of the study authors, visit acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com.
