To explore the barriers and fears related to use of opioids among a population of adult outpatients with advanced cancer who continue to experience pain after receiving a prescription for opioid analgesia and hypothesized associations among opiophobia, anxiety, depression, pain intensity, pain interference, and opioid medication adherence.

Primary Objective:

To explore the barriers and fears related to use of opioids among a population of adult outpatients with advanced cancer who continue to experience pain after receiving a prescription for opioid analgesia.

Secondary Objective:

To examine associations among opiophobia, anxiety, depression, pain intensity, pain interference, and opioid medication adherence among adults with advanced cancer who report undermanaged pain during the first week after receiving a prescription for an opioid analgesic.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Adult patients with advanced cancer (defined as cancer that is unlikely to be cured and is locally advanced or distantly metastasized
2. Pain is the documented reason for the Supportive Care consultation
3. Have a prescription for an opioid analgesic
4. Able to read, speak, and consent in English.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Age less than 18 years
2. Do not have a prescription for an opioid analgesic
3. Individuals for whom there is documentation of inability to provide consent in the medical record
4. Women who are pregnant
5. Patients with a substance use disorder (including alcohol use disorder and excluding tobacco use disorder) documented in the electronic health record under History of Present Illness or in the Medical History.

MD Anderson Cancer Center