Introduction: African Americans (AA) experience a disproportionate burden of cancer pain. Affective and cognitive symptoms are often associated with cancer, pain, and treatment. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between perceived cognitive function and depression with perceptions of pain among AA cancer patients treated with opioids.
Methods: The convenience sample consisted of 60 AA cancer patients receiving opioids. Pain (Brief Pain Inventory), depression (Personal Health Questionnaire), and cognitive difficulty (Cognitive Difficulties
Scale) were completed. Associations among variables were estimated using bivariate correlations and multiple linear regression.
Results: Mean age was 57; 60% were women, and 52% had at least some college education and were experiencing moderate pain and interference (mean pain severity and interference scores equaled 6.6; ±1.8 and 5.5; ±2.4 on a scale of 0 to 10). Greater perceived cognitive difficulties score was significantly associated with higher pain interference (rho=0.37, p=0.004) but not with higher pain severity, whereas depressive symptoms were significantly associated with higher pain interference (rho=0.68, p<0.001) and
higher pain severity (rho=0.45, p<0.001) after controlling for cognitive difficulties. The interaction effects
between cognitive and depressive symptoms on both pain interference and pain severity were not
statistically significant, although depressive symptoms were positively associated with pain interference
(b=0.41, p<0.001) and pain severity (b=0.26, p=0.001).
Conclusions: The association among symptoms is important to consider in cancer patients treated for pain with opioids. These findings enhance understanding of this triad of symptoms and provide information on which to base future work to improve the symptom experience for AA cancer patients.

COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH CANCER PAIN AMONG AFRICAN AMERICANS