What is cancer pain? With the prevalence of a pandemic virus, cancer is one of India's leading causes of death. One in nine people is vulnerable to developing cancer in their lifetime. Dr Vivek Loomba, a Senior Consultant Pain Physician at the Indian Spinal Injuries Center, says that Cancer pain refers to the pain caused in cancer patients due to many underlying reasons. Cancer does not necessarily cause pain but could be a potential symptom or side effect of the treatment. Some cancer patients typically have ongoing pain that requires extensive management. It could sap energy, make it difficult for you to sleep or eat, and be detrimental to your mental and emotional well-being. In addition, it might impact one's daily duties and professional life.
Causes Of Cancer Pain
There are many causes of cancer pain. However, Dr Vivek Loomba says it can broadly be classified into two categories.
The pain is caused as a side effect of the disease and
The pain is caused as a side effect of ongoing treatments.
With the tumour growing, pressure is put on the surrounding areas of cancer. As a result, they could cause pain by pressing nerves, organs, or even bones in some cases. Although breakthrough pain is sometimes rendered in severe patients undergoing treatment, the prescribed medications do not even control that.
Cancer treatment via radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgeries has painful side effects. For example, radiation therapy may cause skin inflammation in the areas where it's focused. Chemotherapy, on the other hand, has the potential to cause peripheral neuropathy, which means nerve damage that leads to spiky sensation and numbness. In addition, many cancer diagnostic procedures are painful, and one could go through a hefty amount of pain while undergoing such procedures. A mammogram is one such example.
There are various kinds of pain one can experience in cancer and cancer treatments. It depends upon where the pain is stemming. Dr Loomba listed below some types of pain one can experience:
Phantom Pain: As the name suggests, it's a pain of the removed organ/part. This pain is caused post-surgery in areas where the body part has been removed to eradicate cancerous tissues.
Bone Pain: Bone when cancer starts hampering the regular cellular activity of the bone, it begins to cause bone pain which feels like a throbbing rhythm.
Referred Pain: Referred pain is caused in locations other than the primary tumour location. For instance, breast cancer can result in a feeling of pain in the armpit.
Soft Tissue and Nerve Pain: When cancer starts affecting the connective tissues and nerves of the surrounding area, it causes soft tissue or nerve pain respectively. Mild tissue pain includes pain in the skin, fat, muscles, and even tendons. Another cause for nerve pain could be cancer treatment in itself. For example, surgical removal for cancer treatment could cause nerve damage and a tingling or burning sensation.
Treatment
Solid painkillers and alternative therapies like acupuncture are only two examples of how to manage cancer-related pain. Drugs are frequently used to treat cancer pain. Your pain management physician will typically select one of several pain relieving options based on the intensity of your pain.
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