Cancer and pain do not always go hand in hand. For most cancer patients, pain often does not correspond with the disease. However, for approximately 1 in 3 cancer patients that are being treated, pain is a very genuine concern. In the case of patients with advanced cancer that has begun to spread, the chance of experiencing debilitating pain is amplified.
The crippling pain brought on by cancer can occur for various reasons. The disease itself can be the origin of the aching, as it can create pain when the cancer grows into and destroys nearby tissue. Nevertheless, much of the pain cancer patients endure is caused for a plethora of other reasons. Read on to learn the various types and causes of cancer pain, as well as the treatment options available.
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What Causes Cancer Pain?
Generally speaking most cancer pain occurs as a result of the disease spreading to nearby tissue, therefore killing it. Furthermore, excruciating cancer pain often ensues when the tumor presses on bones, nerves and other organs in the body. As the cancer ages and the tumor grows the pain can become more unbearable because the tumor will begin to encroach ever closer onto the nerves and organs in the surrounding affected area. The cancer may even discharge chemicals in the direct area of the tumor that increases the pain experienced by the victim.
In addition to the pain produced by the tumor and cancer itself, much of the pain and discomfort associated with cancer can be traced to the treatment methods used. Chemotherapy, surgery and radiation are among the most common treatments that spawn pain. Surgery is obviously uncomfortable, painful and can result in months of downtime. Radiation leaves a painful burning perception and unpleasant scars in its wake. Finally, chemotherapy is painful in its injection and can leave a burning sensation, mouth sores, nerve damage and other long lasting side effects.
Overall, there are various causes of cancer pain. Between the tumor, cancer chemicals, chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, cancer victims can attribute their pain to multitude of causes. However, despite many of the causes of cancer pain remaining constant for all sufferers of the disease, the types of cancer pain can differ greatly. Read on to learn the various cancer pain types and causes.
What Types of Pain Are Present For Cancer Patients?
There are various cancer pain types that generally occur when the cancer begins to spread and affect bones, nerves and organs. Medically speaking, pain can be classified into three different groups including somatic pain, neuropathic pain and visceral pain.
- Somatic pain, simply stated, is an achy and dull feeling in which the actual pain cannot necessarily be pinpointed. This is a result of increased activity in the pain receptors located deep in the tissues of the body and occasionally on the surface of the skin. For cancer, an example of somatic pain can be seen when the cancer spreads to the bone. While the cancer patient can experience the pain, it is impossible to pinpoint the source. Somatic pain will also cause cancer patients to experience a dull and achy feeling when the disease reaches the bones.
- Neuropathic pain is pain that is produced through damage to the nervous system that feels like a tingling or burning sensation. Of the three classifications of pain, neuropathic is the most severe, especially for cancer patients. Often characterized as a burning or tingling feeling, neuropathic pain is almost always a result of injury to the nervous system. For cancer patients this often means a tumor pressing upon the spinal cord or sensitive nerves. Additionally, treatment can often result in neuropathic pain as well. Chemotherapy and radiation frequently induce damage to the nervous system culminating in neuropathic pain.
- Visceral pain, unlike the other two classifications, is primarily an internal pain that is regularly described as an intense feeling of pressure or internal throbbing. Internal organs contained in a cavity of the body are referred to as viscera. Thus visceral pain is agony felt in one of these areas. For cancer patients, visceral pain can be excruciating. Regularly, visceral pain is not a common component of the cancer itself. Instead, cancer patients that unfortunately encounter visceral pain usually do so because their tumor is pressing upon viscera organs, or organs contained in a cavity within the body.
Somatic, Visceral and Neuropathic pain are general types of pain that anyone can feel. For cancer patients there are various pains and causes of pain that fall into these pain classifications. Additionally there are two different types of pain, including acute and chronic pain:
Acute Pain: Acute pain is generally short term pain that is produced via an injury. For cancer patients, operations and the wounds they leave are examples of acute pain. If acute pain is not managed properly it can easily develop into the more gruesome and long term chronic pain. Proper maintenance via prescribed painkillers and an effective medical plan can help to avoid further damage and worse pain for cancer patients.
Chronic Pain: Chronic pain begins when changes to nerves occur. When tumors press on nerves or produce chemicals the nerves can begin to become altered. Chemotherapy, radiation and other forms of treatment can also spawn nerve changes as well. Chronic pain lasts for upwards of three months and endures long after the injury has occurred or the treatment is over. Ranging from mild to severe, chronic pain can persistently last for significant periods of time despite even the best treatments. Overall, chronic pain is very difficult to treat, however painkillers and proper pain maintenance via a professional can calm the persistent pain. If chronic pain is simply ignored, it can lead to difficulty treating in the future.
Cancer Pain Types:
Cancer patients pain can culminate from various sources and for a plethora of reasons. Generally, all cancer pain will be sorted by specialists into acute or chronic and then further classified into somatic, neuropathic or visceral pain. However, for cancer patients its is necessary that the pain source is correctly determined in order for it to be properly treated. Different types of pain and different sources of pain require different treatments; read on to learn various type of pain specific to cancer patients:
- Soft Tissue Pain: Soft tissue pain is an annoying pain that emanates from a body organ or muscle. It is very hard to pinpoint this pain and it can quickly become chronic if not monitored properly. Overall, soft tissue pain is usually described as sharp, convulsing, stinging and throbbing.
- Bone Pain: In addition to the tumor pressing up against bones and causing pain, cancer can eventually spread to the bones. The cancer can affect one part of the bone or various segments and create excruciating pain that cannot necessarily be pinpointed.
- Phantom Pain: Phantom pain occurs when a limb or another part of the body is missing. Phantom pain, for cancer patients, can occur when a limb is removed or even when the breasts are removed via a mastectomy.
- Referred Pain: Referred pain occurs when pain from an organ is felt in another part of the body. For example, an injured pancreas may create pain in the left arm despite the two not being directly connected. Referred pain is very common for cancer patients.
For Cancer Pain Treatment in Orange County Schedule an Appointment with CRPM
Cancer Pain Treatment:
As seen before, having cancer does not always equate to having cancer pain. For those that do have pain, treatment can be very hard to achieve. Regardless, there are various medicines and non-drug methods that can be used to treat cancer pain. The most important step in relieving cancer pain is to determine the type of pain you are experiencing. The treatment method utilized for a patient with chronic visceral referred pain would be completely different from the treatment method utilized for a patient with acute neuropathic soft tissue pain. Upon determining the pain that you are experiencing a cancer pain specialist can properly assist in relieving the pain.
Cancer pain isn’t only caused by cancer or by the tumor itself. Rather, the pain a cancer patient is experiencing is often caused by the treatment methods utilized. Chemotherapy, radiation and other treatment methods are very detrimental to the health of a cancer patient and can be a significant source of pain.
CRPM develops specialized cancer pain treatment in Orange County to combat cancer pain in the most effective and efficient manner possible. If you are dealing with cancer and having trouble properly maintaining the pain, contact CRPM for intimate and specialized cancer pain treatment in Orange County.
