Improving pain management for older cancer survivors
Official title: Centralized Pain Management In Older Adult Cancer Survivors
Funded at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor · NIH-10991839 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking to improve pain management for older adults who have survived cancer by understanding the different types of pain they experience and how to best tailor medications for them, so healthcare providers can make better treatment choices.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2023 |
| Project end | November 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $169,560 |
| NIH project number | 5K08AG081505-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10991839 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are older adults aged 65 and above who have survived cancer and experience centralized pain.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are younger than 65 or do not have a history of cancer may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to enhance the management of centralized pain in older adults who have survived cancer. It focuses on understanding how different types of pain—neuropathic, nociceptive, and nociplastic—affect this population and how medications can be tailored to their specific needs. By examining provider decision-making and medication use patterns, the study seeks to develop a clinical decision support system that can guide healthcare providers in choosing the most appropriate treatments. The research employs a mixed methods approach to gather comprehensive data on the experiences of older adult cancer survivors with centralized pain.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective pain management strategies for older cancer survivors, improving their quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that Mechanistic-Based Pain Therapy can improve patient outcomes in other populations, suggesting potential success for this approach in older cancer survivors.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Smith, Michael a — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Smith, Michael a
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Cancer Pain Management for Asian American Breast Cancer Survivors with Depressive Symptoms
A technology-based program helps Asian American breast cancer survivors with depressive symptoms manage chronic pain more effectively from home using a web app and mobile tools.
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Adapting a Digital Pain Coach for Young Adult Cancer Survivors
A web-based pain management program originally designed for older adults will be adapted and tested to help young adult cancer survivors manage chronic pain.
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Tech-based pain support for Asian American breast cancer survivors
This project is building an easy-to-use web and mobile program to help Asian American breast cancer survivors with chronic pain and depression get personalized information and coaching.
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Improving pain management for Asian American breast cancer survivors using technology
This study is creating a helpful web app for Asian American breast cancer survivors to make it easier for them to manage their pain while considering their cultural needs and any feelings of depression they might have.
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Telehealth exercise program to help rural breast cancer survivors fight fatigue
A telehealth exercise program is being tested to reduce cancer-related fatigue in rural breast cancer survivors.
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Understanding how survivorship care plans affect health outcomes for cancer survivors
A study will look at whether survivorship care plans help reduce deaths and improve health for adults who have survived cancer.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.