Unraveling Cancer Pain Dynamics: An Adaptive Learning Module
Released On
July 8, 2025
Expires On
October 31, 2025
Media Type
Internet
Completion Time
60 minutes
Specialty
Emergency Medicine, Hematology-Oncology, Pain Management, Primary Care
Topic(s)
Oncology, Pain
Providers/Grant Support
This activity is supported by an independent educational grant from the Opioid Analgesic REMS Program Companies.
Credit Available
- 1.0/AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
- 1.00/AAPA Category 1 CME Credit
- 1.00/CNE Contact Hour(s)
- 1.00/CE for Pharmacists
- 1.00/CE for Social Workers
All other health care professionals completing this course will be issued a statement of participation.
Target Audience
This program is designed to meet the educational needs of health care professionals specializing in oncology, hematology, pain management, psychology, primary care (including family medicine and internal medicine), and emergency medicine. This includes physicians, physician assistants/physician associates, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, nurses, and other health care professionals engaged in the management of cancer pain in adult patients, whether or not they have prescribing authority for controlled substances.
Program Overview
This adaptive learning program is designed for health care professionals involved in cancer pain management. Tailored to your existing knowledge, this program allows you to "test out" of topics you already mastered. In this fully interactive course, clinicians will explore the safe and effective use of opioid analgesics, optimize non-opioid analgesics and adjuvant medications, and learn to integrate non-pharmacological approaches into comprehensive cancer pain management. Key topics include opioid safety, pain management strategies, non-opioid therapies, and holistic approaches to patient care. This activity is fully compliant with the Opioid Analgesic REMS education requirements that are issued by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be better able to:
- Recall the underlying principles of pain management in oncology, including cancer-specific pain definitions and mechanisms relevant to different types of cancer
- Describe the steps for assessing pain in patients with cancer, recognizing cancer-related pain patterns, and identifying risk factors for substance use disorders
- Evaluate the range of therapeutic modalities for managing pain, including non-pharmacological strategies and appropriate use of non-opioid and opioid analgesics
- Explain how to integrate opioid analgesics into individualized treatment plans for cancer pain, considering the unique characteristics and needs of patients with different types of cancer, while continuously assessing for functional improvement
- Summarize how to safely initiate, titrate, and discontinue opioid analgesics for acute and chronic cancer pain following evidence-based practices and patient-centered care principles
- Describe how to provide effective counseling to patients and caregivers regarding the safe use, storage, and disposal of opioid analgesics
- Recognize scenarios for referral to a pain specialist and collaborate effectively with interdisciplinary teams to optimize pain management, including the identification and management of opioid use disorders
Faculty
Sorin Buga, MD
Clinical Professor, Department of Supportive Care Medicine
Program Director, COH Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship
City of Hope
Duarte, CA
David Copenhaver, MD, MPH
Chief, Division of Pain Medicine
Director, Cancer Pain Management & Supportive Care
Director, Pain Tele-Health Programs
Clinical Professor, Division of Pain Medicine
UC Davis Health
Sacramento, CA
David S. Craig, PharmD
Pharmacist Lead, Acute Pain and Supportive Care Medicine
Moffitt Cancer Center
Tampa, FL
Dwain Fehon, PsyD
Professor of Psychology
Chief Psychologist, Psychiatric Services
Yale New Haven Hospital
Director, Behavioral Medicine Service
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, CT
Myra Glajchen, DSW, MSW, BSW, ACSW, APHSW-C
Director of Education and Training
ESPEC Project Director
Associate Program Director, Fellowship Training Program
MJHS Institute for Innovation in Palliative Care
New York, NY
Elizabeth Prsic, MD
Director, Adult Inpatient Palliative Care
Firm Chief, Medical Oncology
Yale Cancer Center
Assistant Professor
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, CT
Carey Ramirez, ANP-C, ACHPN
Manager, Advanced Practice
Supportive Care Medicine
City of Hope
Duarte, CA
Erin Vipler, MD
Assistant Professor, Medicine-Internal Medicine
University of Colorado Hospital
Aurora, CO
Jeanie Youngwerth, MD, FAAHPM
Associate Professor of Medicine
UCH Medical Staff President
Associate Program Director, Colorado Palliative Medicine Fellowship
Director, Palliative Care Service
Department of Medicine
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Aurora, CO
Accreditation Statement
In support of improving patient care, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) 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 health care team.
Credit Designation
This activity is provided by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network in partnership with The France Foundation.
Physicians
The NCCN designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Nurses
The NCCN designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 contact hour.
Physician Associates
The NCCN has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 1.0 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation. Approval is valid until November 19, 2025. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.
Pharmacists
This knowledge-based activity, UAN # JA4008196-0000-24-100-H08-P, qualifies for 1.0 contact hours (0.10 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy education credit. Please submit all evaluations and credit requests no later than 30 days after you complete this activity to ensure your credit fulfillment, as CE credit cannot be awarded past 60 days from the activity date. Your CE credits will be electronically submitted to the NABP upon successful completion of the activity. Pharmacists with questions can contact NABP customer service ([email protected]).
Social Workers
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, the NCCN is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The NCCN maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive 1.0 continuing education credits.
Additional Credit Information
All other health care professionals completing this course will be issued a statement of participation.
Disclosures of Conflicts of Interest
Sorin Buga, MD, reports the following relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose: Non-CE Consulting: Bausch Health US LLS.
David Copenhaver, MD, MPH, has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
David S. Craig, PharmD, reports the following relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose: Contract Research: PCORI, Non-CE Consulting: Seikagaku Corporation (relationship ended August 2024), Non-CE Consulting: Syneos Health, LLC (relationship ended February 2023), Non-CE Consulting: USM, LLC (relationship ended May 2023).
Dwain Fehon, PsyD, has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
Myra Glajchen, DSW, MSW, BSW, ACSW, APHSW-C, has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
Elizabeth Prsic, MD, has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
Carey Ramirez, ANP-C, ACHPN, has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
Erin Vipler, MD, has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
Jeanie Youngwerth, MD, FAAHPM, has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
All of the relevant financial relationships listed for these individuals have been mitigated.
Faculty Disclaimer
All faculty for this continuing education activity are competent in the subject matter and qualified by experience, training, and/or preparation for the tasks and methods of delivery.
Faculty presentations may include discussion of off-label use. Faculty will disclose that the use in question is not currently approved by the FDA per the product labeling or marketing.
Instructions for Participation and Credit
There are no fees for participating and receiving credit for this activity. Successful completion is achieved by reviewing the CE information, completing the activity, and completing the evaluation form.
Credit Fulfillment
- If you are requesting AMA credits, ANCC credits, AAPA credits, Social Work credits, or a certificate of participation, your certificate will be available for download
- If you are a pharmacist requesting ACPE credits, your credit request will be uploaded to CPE Monitor within 60 days
For information about the accreditation of this program, please contact The France Foundation at 860-434-1650 or [email protected]
Course Viewing Requirements
Supported Browsers
Internet Explorer 8.0+ for Windows 2003, Vista, XP, Windows 7, and Windows 8.1 and above
Google Chrome 28.0+ for Windows, Mac OS, or Linux
Mozilla Firefox 23.0+ for Windows, Mac OS, or Linux
Safari 6.0+ for Mac OSX 10.7 and above
Supported Phones & Tablets:
Android 4.0.3 and above
iPhone/iPad with iOS 6.1 or above
Disclosure of Unlabeled Use
It is the policy of the NCCN that all planners, faculty, moderators, authors, reviewers, and anyone involved in the planning and delivery of NCCN continuing education activities are expected to disclose ALL financial relationships they have had in the past 24 months with ineligible companies.
The ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence require that individuals who refuse to provide this information will be disqualified from involvement in the planning and implementation of accredited continuing education presented by the NCCN. The NCCN identifies, mitigates, and discloses to learners all relevant financial relationships.
In addition, all content has been reviewed to ensure the education promotes safe, effective patient care and does not promote the products or services of an ineligible company. Content, including any presentation of therapeutic options, is fair, balanced, evidence-based, scientifically accurate, and free of commercial bias and marketing.
Definitions
Ineligible Company: An ineligible company is any entity whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing health care products used by or on patients.
Relevant Financial Relationships: Financial relationships of any dollar amount occurring within the past 24 months are defined as relevant if the educational content an individual can control is related to the business lines or products of an ineligible company. There is no minimum financial threshold. We ask for disclosure of ALL financial relationships with ineligible companies, regardless of the amount and regardless of the potential relevance of each relationship to the education.
Disclaimer
This activity is designed for educational purposes. Participants have a responsibility to utilize this information to enhance their professional development to improve patient outcomes. Conclusions drawn by the participants should be derived from careful consideration of all available scientific information. The participant should use his/her clinical judgment, knowledge, experience, and diagnostic decision-making before applying any information, whether provided here or by others, for any professional use.
Privacy Policy
The France Foundation protects the privacy of personal and other information regarding participants and educational collaborators. The France Foundation will not release personally identifiable information to a third party without the individual's consent, except when such information is required for reporting purposes to the ACCME.
The France Foundation maintains physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal regulations to protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of information that we have collected from you.
Contact Information
Additional information regarding The France Foundation’s Privacy Policy can be viewed at http://www.francefoundation.com/privacy.