Cancer Pain

Cancer Pain

Cancer Pain is the most distressing type of pain. It is important to provide good pain relief during all stages of cancer treatment; so that the patient is comfortable. Treatment includes medication and various nerve block techniques.

Most cancer pain is caused by the tumour pressing on bones, nerves or other organs in the body.Cancer pain may also be caused due to your cancer treatment. For example, some chemotherapy drugs can cause numbness and tingling in your hands and feet. Or they might cause a burning sensation at the spot where you have the injection.
Radiotherapy can cause skin redness and irritation.

Treatment

1. Oral medicine.
2. Skin patch – a clear, sticky patch placed on the skin. It slowly – but constantly – releases medicine through the skin for 2 to 3 days.(e.g. Fentanyl patches, buperonorphine patches)
3. Rectal suppositories – medicine that dissolves in the rectum and is absorbed by the body.
4. Injections
   i. Intravenous (IV) injection – medicine goes right into a vein through a needle, port, or catheter.
   ii. Intrathecal and epidural injections – medicine is put into the fluid around the spinal cord (intrathecal) or into the space around the spinal cord (epidural).
   iii. Sympathetic blocks with local anaesthetics and steroids/ neurolytic agents.