Need To Improve Access to Painkillers

An international survey has found that all over the world, cancer patients are made to put up with pain. Lack of pain relievers has left cancer patients with no other option than to bear the pain. The advancements in the medical science although have helped in saving lives from cancer, lack of access to these medicine is causing much havoc.

Patients with advanced stage of cancer need special care and treatment. The health authorities need to understand the challenges faced by the cancer patients so that effective care could be offered.

For the survey, the researchers studied 150 reports published previously in 76 countries. During the survey, it was found that a very few nations are actually providing all the essential pain relievers to the cancer patients.

The lead author of the survey, Nathan Cherny, said, "Unrelieved cancer pain is a cause of major worldwide suffering, not because we don't have the tools necessary to relieve pain, but because most patients don't have access to the essential pain-relieving medication". There is a need to make the life saving treatments available to cancer patients so that they could also be given a chance to enjoy their life.