Pain management strategies among cervical cancer patients in Zimbabwe.

Lay abstract Although cancer pain has potential life-altering impact, it is not well studied in developing countries. This study aims to report on cancer pain management in Zimbabwe by reviewing policies of pain management, patient records for prevalence and assessing the practices of cancer pain management, using 410 cervical cancer patients as a model. In total, 278 (68%) cancer patients presented with pain, yet only 42% of patient records had documented prescribed pain management. We report that these findings can be consequences of restrictive policies, inadequate patient pain assessment, inaccessible pain drugs, unrecorded prescriptions and limitations of resources in the facility. Our study is important because it identifies gaps that can be addressed to improve care for cancer patients in resource-limited settings.