A day-care pain clinic--its possibilities and limitations in the treatment of cancer patients.

A day-care unit was established to extend facilities of the pain clinic. During its first 2 years of operation 79 patients with cancer-related pain have been treated. Most patients were admitted because of intractable pain but also suffered other symptoms mainly concerning the gastrointestinal and respiratory tract. For more than half of the patients and their families, psychosocial problems were also an important issue. The central aim of the pain management programme is to improve the quality of life of patients with cancer-related pain through appropriate drug based or anesthetic interventions. Control of other symptoms and counseling for both patient and family are an integral part of the holistic approach. The first initial clinical experiences show that the day-care unit provides a noticeable improvement in patient care and constitutes an excellent link between the out- and inpatient therapeutic possibilities.