Background: A small, randomized trial was conducted in 2001, that supplied preliminary evidence that a carefully structured, one-time individualized education and coaching intervention has the potential to provide important clinical benefits for patients suffering from cancer-related pain. The study did not explore the impact of the intervention in a larger, more diverse patient population; the duration of the intervention's benefits; or the pathway by which the benefits are achieved. This project will attempt to address these issues while building on the literature that exists in palliation and physician-patient communication.