Abstract
The purpose of the study was to describe cancer patients' experiences of and expectations on care related to pain. The design was explorative-descriptive. Nineteen cancer patients from different parts of Finland took part in the study. Data were collected by means of focus interviews and essays and analysed by qualitative content analysis. The results showed that the patients' experiences of pain related care can be described on a continuum between two extremes. The caring pole involves experiences of receiving pain relieving medication when needed, of personnel that gives care, support, assurance and information. The uncaring pole involves experiences of neglect of the mental and emotional aspect, experiences that the personnel does not prevent and relieve pain, neglects the patient's pain, does not give information and does not understand what it means to be in pain. The patients wanted pain to be relieved by medication, but they also emphasised the importance of contact and communication, of professional expertise and kindness, of an active assessment of the pain, and of receiving cognitive means for pain control. The patients saw respect for human beings and for the patient's integrity as an important aspect of pain related care.