• Shannon M Devlin, James D Murphy, and Heidi N Yeung.
• 1 Department of Internal Medicine, University of California San Diego , La Jolla, California.
• J Palliat Med. 2019 Mar 1; 22 (3): 307-309.

ContextResearch shows an increased symptom burden in young adult (YA) cancer patients compared with their older adult counterpart.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to identify differences in clinical characteristics and related outcomes between YA and older adult cancer patients admitted for cancer-related pain.Materials And MethodsWe retrospectively identified 190 hospitalized patients in a single academic center with admissions for cancer-related pain. Patients were grouped into either "young adult" (18-39) or "older adult" (>40) cohorts. We compared differences in patient characteristics and pain regimens.ResultsMedian oral morphine equivalent per 24 hours was higher in the YA group (194 mg vs. 70 mg, p = 0.010). Younger patients received patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) more frequently (p = 0.023). The number of palliative care consults and adjuvants prescribed did not differ between groups (p > 0.05), although YAs more frequently had an inpatient pain anesthesia consult (p = 0.047).ConclusionFindings show increased opioid requirements and PCA use in YAs being treated for malignancy compared with their older adult counterpart.

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