Turkish Journal of Geriatrics 2014 , Vol 17, Issue 2
CHRONIC PAIN AND ANXIETY IN GERIATRIC CANCER PATIENTS
Ezgi MUTLUAY1, Sabire YURTSEVER2
1Hacettepe Üniversitesi, Hemşirelik Fakültesi ANKARA
2Mersin Üniversitesi, Sağlık Yüksekokulu MERSİN
Introduction: This paper aims to determine the chronic pain and anxiety of geriatric cancer patients.

Materials and Method: This was a descriptive study of 106 patients aged 65 or over who had been diagnosed with cancer. Study data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the McGill Pain Questionnaire to define pain characteristics, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.

Results: Average patient age was 70.16, 79.2% being between 65 and 74; 54.7% were male; 55.7% were literate or had finished elementary school; 63.2% lived with their spouses. Pain medication was used by 90.6%, while all patients reported that their pain did affect their activities of daily living. The pain level was found to be significantly higher in patients who experienced vomiting due to chemotherapy or radiation therapy frequently or occasionally, and in patients who reported that feeding, mobility, eating, housekeeping/gardening and sleeping among their activities of daily living were severely affected (p<0.05). State-Trait Anxiety Inventory scores were higher in patients who experienced anorexia or diarrhea/constipation frequently, those who experienced continuous pain during the day, and those who reported their feeding, mobility, housekeeping/ gardening activities of daily living to be severely affected (p<0.05). A positive correlation was found between the frequency of pain and the patients' trait anxiety levels (p<0.01).

Conclusion: A negative influence of pain on the activities of daily living and anxiety level of the elderly was established; the anxiety level increased in parallel with the pain. Keywords : Geriatrics; Cancer; Chronic Pain; Anxiety