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Dealing with Cancer Pain
by Debra Sully
http://www.fpaino.com

Many people with cancer experience pain; in fact 30% to 50%
of people who are undergoing cancer treatment are in pain
due to the treatment itself while 70% to 90% of patients
with an advanced stage of cancer are in pain.

A feeling of pain is the result when the brain receives
signals from the nerves that the body is being damaged by
some force, in this case the chemotherapy that is killing
cells or the cancer itself which is damaging the body.
Chronic pain is an ongoing pain and becomes a major stressor
to both the body and the mind, affecting a person's entire
well-being. Along with chronic cancer pain, cancer patients
may also experience what is termed as breakthrough pain,
which a is a spike or temporary increase in the amount of
pain. Fortunately, about 95% of cancer patients can find
relief from their pain through prescription drugs or other
means.

Since pain is manageable for so many cancer patients, why
aren't more patients seeking relief? Uneasiness about
aggressively attacking this discomfort inhibits many
patients from letting their doctor know about their
experience. Some patients were taught from a young age that
complaining gets you nowhere and they end up needlessly
"suffering in silence". Doctors are also accomplices to
this injustice by placing more emphasis on the treatment of
the cancer rather than bringing up pain. Another common
reason is a hesitancy to take or prescribe strong
painkillers like morphine that can be addictive.

Painkillers aren't the only treatment options to
successfully end cancer pain. Some non-drug alternatives
involve therapies. Many therapies coupled with painkillers
work effectively too. These include biofeedback,
acupuncture, massage and hypnosis. Many cancerous tumors
are removable by surgery or shrunk with radiation therapies.
Radiation therapy is employed to relieve pain when a tumor
impinges on nerves and organs.

Pain medications are most effective if they are taken on a
regular schedule, such as every 8 or 12 hours. A regular
schedule keeps a fixed amount of pain medication in the
body at all times. An additional dose may be taken on
demand if breakthrough pain occurs. Many people do not
want to rely on pain medication and prefer to take it when
the pain becomes severe. This is totally the wrong approach
as the pain has taken over. It is easier to manage pain
with a regular schedule than try to overcome pain.

Cancer is a complicated disease and it may take more than
one pain medication or technique to control the pain it
causes and the medical team may need to try several
combinations of pain medications to find the right mix for
an individual patient. Also, as the disease changes over
time, so can the medications that are required to control
the pain. Finally, the patient should not feel
overmedicated or "out of it" on their pain management
regimen.

Don't let pain take over you or a loved one when cancer
rears its ugly head. Rather than taking a back seat to
pain, meet with your doctor and find a pain relief plan that
is suited to you.

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