Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40178752›Full record

ReviewCurrent oncology reports2025

Reflecting on Cancer Pain as Constant Acute Pain, not Chronic Pain. 'Known Knowns, Known Unknowns, Unknown Unknowns'.

Dympna Waldron, Kirk Levins, David Murphy, Michael McCarthy, David Gorey, Karen Ryan, Eileen Mannion, Bairbre Mc Nicholas, Doiminic Ó Brannagáin, Leona Reilly and 5 more

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Current oncology reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Intolerance of uncertainty and attitudes toward cancer as predictors of spiritual well-being in patients with cancer.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Dympna WaldronSchool of Medicine, National University of Galway, Galway, Ireland. dympnamwaldron@gmail.com.
Kirk LevinsDepartment of Pain Medicine, St Vincent's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
David MurphySchool of Medicine, National University of Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Michael McCarthyDepartment of Palliative Medicine, Galway University Hospital (GUH), Saolta Hospitals Group (SHG), Galway, Ireland.
David GoreyDepartment of Nephrology, GUH, SHG, Galway, Ireland.
Karen RyanDepartment of Palliative Medicine, Mater Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Eileen MannionSchool of Medicine, National University of Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Bairbre Mc NicholasDepartment of Palliative Medicine, Galway University Hospital (GUH), Saolta Hospitals Group (SHG), Galway, Ireland.
Doiminic Ó BrannagáinDepartment of Palliative Medicine, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, Ireland.
Leona ReillySchool of Medicine, National University of Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Laura GaffneySchool of Medicine, National University of Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Beth MolonyDepartment of Post Graduate Medicine, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Mary HealyClinical Nurse Specialist, Our Lady's Hospice & Care Services, Dublin, Ireland.
Jack MolonyGeneral Practitioner Training Scheme, Dublin North Side, Dublin, Ireland.
Anthony DickensonNeuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purpose of reviewto explore a paradigm shift in the definition of opioid-responsive cancer pain in this hypothesis-driven review. Opioid-responsive cancer pain may be misplaced within the definition of chronic pain, chronic pain takes three months to establish, early effective control is worthwhile to achieve. RECENT: findings, from a bench-to-bed perspective, debates the interpretation of results supporting the hypothesis that opioid-responsive cancer pain could remain 'constant acute pain', with explanations, best solutions, for tolerance and/or addiction, in cancer patients compared to those with chronic pain from other conditions. Unraveling the unique apparent properties of opioid-responsive cancer pain empowers knowledge of the process by which acute pain may have the potential to remain acute in nature and not transition into chronic pain. Findings outlined defend the hypothesis of probable sustained acute nature of opioid-responsive cancer pain, importance of early, sustained pain control, opioid reduction and further exploration of this hypothesis in clinical practice.

Indexed as

Acute PainAnalgesics, OpioidCancer PainChronic PainNeoplasmsHumansPain ManagementAnalgesics, OpioidAcute painCancer painChronic painDeliriumEndogenous OpioidsFight-or-flightImmune SystemNociplastic painOpioid-induced HyperalgesiaOpioid ResponsiveTolerance

Identifiers

PMID40178752
PMCPMC12081498

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.