Introduction
Pain, cancer pain, pain, cancer-related pain, Cancer
DISEASE, ADVANCED CANCER, CANCER
Approximately 70% of patients living with advanced cancer experience pain [Pain is associated with poorer quality of life [Cancer is the leading cause of social and economic burden in Australia [However, no studies have investigated the relationship between healthcare usage and pain intensity in people with advanced cancer in Australia. Such estimates facilitate modelling of the effect of successfully reducing pain levels on subsequent healthcare utilization through improved pain management. For example, these estimates would usefully inform economic evaluations, i.e. modelled cost-effectiveness, cost-utility and cost-benefit analyses, which systematically compare the costs and benefits of competing strategies and provide information about how best to improve outcomes within funding constraints [Additionally, there is a paucity of research on factors associated with healthcare utilisation and costs in patients living with advanced cancer pain in Australia such as patient, disease or pain-related characteristics. This knowledge could help identify potential opportunities for improvement in cancer pain management. For example, data from the United States (US) suggests that younger age, lower income level and greater pain intensity are associated with higher healthcare costs in outpatients experiencing cancer-related pain [