Cancer & Metastasis Chronic Pain

Primary cancers and metastatic cancers, or those that have spread in the body, can cause varying levels of pain, depending on their location. Talk to your doctor about cancer pain; he can offer several suggestions to relieve it.

Cancer and Pain

• Cancerous tumors can cause a host of negative effects in the body. They can interfere with proper functioning and press on nerves and organs, among other things. This commonly results in pain that can range from mild to severe. Fortunately, you have several options available to manage this problem.

Radiation and Chemotherapy

• In some cases, radiation and chemotherapy can ease the pain of cancer. These treatments can shrink or destroy the tumors causing the discomfort. Controlling the cancer can control various symptoms like pain. For example, doctors frequently recommend radiation to treat cancer that has spread to the bone.

Pharmacological Options

• For many cancer patients, the pain is more serious, and over-the-counter medications do not provide adequate relief. Your doctor might prescribe opioids like morphine and codeine alone or in combination with other types of drugs like antidepressants, anticonvulsants and steroids.

Interrupting Pain Signals

• Another option for treating pain involves blocking the nerve signals that trigger feelings of pain. You can achieve this through localized injections or pumps that deliver medicine to larger areas.

Surgical Options

• Surgery might be effective for relieving pain in certain circumstances like an obstructed bowel or nerve compression. In severe cases that have not responded to any sort of treatment, certain neurological procedures can be used to cut pain pathways to reduce pain.

Complementary Therapy

• Experiment with acupuncture, deep breathing meditation, progressive relaxation and other mind/body techniques. They can enhance conventional pain control methods.