How to Deal With Lung Cancer Pain

According to information from the Mayo Clinic, lung cancer is a condition in which cancerous cells appear in one or both of the lungs. Lung cancer is a dangerous and painful condition, resulting in more deaths than any other type of cancer in the United States. Although smoking increases your risk of developing lung cancer, this condition can affect non-smokers as well. Pain management is one of the foremost goals in treatment, with a number of options.

Instructions

Eliminating Lung Cancer Pain

• 1

  Consider palliative treatment to eliminate some of the pain from lung cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, palliative treatments are those which are used not for the primary purpose of eliminating the cancer, but for the primary purpose of increasing patient comfort. Procedures such as radiation therapy and debulking surgery can remove or kill part of the tumor that is contacting surrounding nerves and causing pain, providing some measure of relief from lung cancer.

• 2

  Consider prescription pain medications if palliative therapy is not a viable or welcome method of treatment. There are a number of pain medications that can be used to lessen the pain from cancer--just be aware that these medications are not without side effects, such as the potential for addiction. As with anything, you have to weigh the benefits against the risks to decide whether to use prescription pain medication in your fight against lung cancer.

• 3

  Look into alternative pain management therapy if the other two methods prove undesirable or ineffective. These include acupuncture, acupressure, and massage. Although you might not believe in the efficacy of these treatments, they are recommended by the American Cancer Society and other medical sites (such as eMedTV.com) as viable methods for combating the pain from lung cancer.