This study describes pain experience, analgesic use and barriers to pain control in African American cancer patients (N = 116). The overall adherence rate of analgesics was 46%. Constipation and nausea were the most commonly cited side effects of analgesics. Eighty-seven percent of patients reported concern about addiction to analgesics. Patients who believed their doctor needed to focus on curing illness rather than on controlling pain tended to comply with analgesic prescriptions (r = 0.20, p < 0.05). Patients with concerns that analgesics may cause confusion were less likely to take any type of analgesics (r = -0.16, p < 0.05). The study confirms that a patient's perceived barriers influence their decision to take analgesics, and also suggests that African American cancer patients may benefit from education that prevents misconceptions about analgesic use.