Pain Characteristics of Cervical Cancer Patient Who Underwent Radiotherapy in Bali, Indonesia

Introduction: Treatment of cervical cancer with radiotherapy is very common in Indonesia. Whenever radiotherapy is performed, not only tumor cells, but all the cells around it received damage therefore causes pain and discomfort to the patient. Often, this phenomenon is overlooked by both patients and medical practitioners. Aims: Author aims to describe pain characteristics of cervical cancer patient treated with Cobalt-60 radiotherapy in Sanglah hospital, based on patient’s age, cancer stadium, education level, marital status, mean income per month, duration of pain, pain intensity, type of pain, radiating pain, pain location, pain behavior pattern, analgesic drugs consumed and breakthrough pain. Method: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. Sampling method used is accidental sampling. Data is collected using questionnaire form, entered to SPSS ver.21 and the result is analyzed. Results: Sample characteristics are cancer stadium II and III, age 50-59 years old, received primary school education, married, no income/unemployed, and experienced pain during therapy. Most patient describes pain as acute, onset post radiotherapy, moderate intensity, located on pelvic anterior, not radiating, pain attacks without pain between them, and nociceptive pain. Most patients who experienced pain do not consume analgesic drugs and no breakthrough pain.