STATEMENT OF NEED

Patients with cancer often suffer from a range of symptoms that negatively impact their quality of life. Among the most significant of these symptoms is pain, which can be caused by the cancer itself, but also by surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, diagnostic procedures, and/or supportive care measures. Between 20% and 50% of patients with cancer experience pain, including moderate-to-severe pain in approximately 80% of patients with advanced-stage cancer (NCI, 2025). Despite awareness and a wide range of intervention options, cancer pain is still often undertreated, and many patients do not obtain complete relief (NCCN, 2026). Therefore, it is crucial to perform a thorough assessment and employ effective strategies for reducing pain. This activity will provide an overview of the pathophysiology of cancer pain, a framework for the evaluation and classification of cancer pain, a review of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions for analgesia, and a discussion of opioid stewardship requirements for nurses caring for patients with cancer.

TARGET AUDIENCE

Oncology nurses, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and other healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of patients with cancer.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Appraise the epidemiology and pathophysiology of cancer-related pain, including distinctions between acute and chronic pain and nociceptive and neuropathic pain
• Evaluate patients with cancer pain using validated tools and communication strategies
• Apply current evidence-based guidelines in pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic management of cancer pain
• Implement safe opioid stewardship practices in oncology settings

REGISTRATION

There is a fee of $29.95 to participate in or claim NCPD credit for this activity.

Provided by

JOINTLY ACCREDITED PROVIDER

In support of improving patient care, i3 Health is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Nursing Continuing Professional Development 

A maximum of 1.0 ANCC contact hour may be earned by learners who successfully complete this nursing continuing professional development activity. This activity has been designated for 0.6 ANCC contact hours of pharmacology credit for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses.

Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 15824, for 1.0 ANCC contact hour.

ONCC RECERTIFICATION

The program content has been reviewed by the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) and is acceptable for recertification points.

ONCC review is only for designating content to be used for recertification points and is not for NCPD accreditation. NCPD programs must be formally approved for contact hours by an acceptable accreditor/approver of NCPD to be used for recertification by ONCC. If the NCPD provider fails to obtain formal approval to award contact hours by an acceptable accrediting/approval body, no information related to ONCC recertification may be used in relation to the program. 

OCN®, CPHON®, CBCN®, AOCNP®, AOCNS®, TCTCN®, ROCN®, and BMTCN® renewal candidates may apply 1.0 ILNA point toward:

• Symptom Management, Palliative Care, Supportive Care (OCN®, CPHON®, AOCNP®)

OCN®, CPHON®, CBCN®, AOCNP®, AOCNS®, TCTCN®, ROCN®, and BMTCN® renewal candidates may apply 0.25 ILNA points toward:

• Care of the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Patient (CPHON®)
• Oncology Nursing Practice (OCN®)
• Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nursing Practice (CPHON®)
• Professional Practice/Performance (TCTCN®, AOCNP®, ROCN®)

Please note that some of the course content applies to multiple content areas. The numerical value above indicates the maximum amount of points that can be claimed in each domain. The total amount of ILNA points claimed may not exceed the total amount of NCPD awarded from this course.

INSTRUCTIONS TO RECEIVE CREDIT

In order to receive credit for this activity, participants must read the monograph and submit a completed evaluation at the end of the activity.

TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS FOR VIRTUAL CME | NCPD | CPE ACTIVITIES

For virtual (asynchronous, archived live, home study; synchronous webinars) CME/NCPD/CPE activities, include access to system requirements:

• The Internet browser(s) supported and minimum versions of each required by the learner to complete the online activity.
• The minimum memory, storage, processor, and internet speeds require by the learner to complete the online activity.

PREREQUISITES

No prerequisites are required for this activity.

DISCLOSURE OF RELEVANT FINANCIAL INFORMATION WITH INELIGIBLE COMPANIES

i3 Health endorses the standards of the ACCME, ANCC, and ACPE that require everyone in a position to control the content of a NCPD activity to disclose all financial relationships with ineligible companies that are related to the content of the NCPD activity. NCPD activities must be balanced, independent of commercial bias, and promote improvements or quality in healthcare. All recommendations involving clinical medicine must be based on evidence accepted within the medical profession. A conflict of interest is created when an individual has an opportunity to affect CME/NCPD content about products or services of an ineligible company with which he/she has a financial relationship, which therefore may bias their opinions and teaching. This may include receiving a salary, royalty, intellectual property rights, consulting fee, honoraria, stocks, or other financial benefits.

i3 Health will identify, review, and mitigate all relevant financial relationships that speakers, authors, or planners disclose prior to an educational activity being delivered to learners. Disclosure of a relationship is not intended to suggest or condone bias in any presentation but is made to provide participants with information that might be of potential importance to their evaluation of a presentation. i3 Health does not endorse any products or services.

Relevant financial relationships exist between the following individuals and ineligible companies:

• Eden E. D. Maack, PhD, has no relevant financial relationships to disclose
• i3 Health staff members and the peer/content reviewer for this activity have no relevant financial relationships to disclose

UNAPPROVED USE DISCLOSURE

i3 Health requires NCPD faculty to disclose to participants when products or procedures being discussed are off-label, unlabeled, experimental, and/or investigational (not FDA approved), as well as any limitations on the information that is presented, such as data that are preliminary or that represent ongoing research, interim analyses, and/or unsupported opinion. Faculty will not discuss information about pharmaceutical agents that is outside of FDA approved labeling. This information is intended solely for educational purposes and is not intended to promote off-label use of these medications. If you have questions, contact the medical affairs department of the manufacturer for the most recent prescribing information.

DISCLAIMER

The information provided in this NCPD activity is for continuing education purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the independent medical/clinical judgment of a healthcare provider relative to diagnostic and treatment options of a specific patient’s medical condition.

TECHNICAL/CREDIT QUERIES

Technical queries about this activity should be directed to support@i3health.com.