Understanding the lived experiences of patients with pancreatic cancer regarding pain and pain management

**$5,000 Scholarship on Offer to Successful Honours Candidate** Optimal pain management is a critical but often unmet need for people with pancreatic cancer (PC), with around 75% of patients presenting with significant abdominal and/or back pain, often due to tumour invasion into the coeliac nerve plexus (CNP). Such pain can be severe, relentless, and debilitating, despite the use of opioid analgesics; this markedly impairs patients’ quality of life (QOL). Thus, providing rapid and ongoing access to effective pain management strategies is critical. In general, pharmacological management is the mainstay of treatment, involving combinations of non-opioid and opioid analgesics with dose escalation according to response. For some patients this approach is effective. However, a significant minority will continue to have poorly controlled pain and/or intolerable side effects from these analgesics, raising the need for alternative approaches. A CNP block has been shown to significantly improve pain management and to delay and/or reduce the use of high doses of opioids for people with PC, improving patients’ QOL. Despite the prevalence of pain in patients with PC, and the severe adverse sequelae, pathways guiding effective pain management, including early access to CNP, are not widely available. Project Aims: A qualitative study will be undertaken to explore the lived experiences of consumers (patients and consumers) regarding pain and pain management for people with PC. The following research questions will be explored with consumers (patients and carers): • How would consumers describe their experience of pain and pain management since diagnosis? • What has been the impact of pain and pain management on their life? What measures have been instituted and discussed? Was the possibility of a CNP block discussed? • Did patients with PC feel adequately supported to manage their pain? Were there any perceived barriers to accessing appropriate pain management? • Did patients use any complimentary therapies (i.e., acupuncture) to manage their pain? Did these approaches help with pain control? The project will involve: 1) Develop interview guide 2) Semi-structured interviews with 20-30 consumers, until no new themes emerge. 3) Interviews will be analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. **$5,000 Scholarship on Offer to Successful Honours Candidate**