Cancer Pain
Cancer is a disease in which the body’s cells don’t behave as they should. Normally, old or damaged cells die off and healthy new ones take their place.
Cancer alters this process, making too many new cells, while allowing diseased or damaged cells to continue to grow and multiply. These excessive cells then spread out, invading other parts of the body where they overcrowd normal cells.
Eventually, the normal cells can’t perform their jobs and the body begins to fail. Oftentimes, the toll that cancer takes on the body can cause chronic pain to develop.
What causes chronic cancer pain?
As cancerous cells continue to replicate out of control, they clump together and form masses called tumors. Tumors are invasive, and the body is not designed to have them there. As they grow larger, tumors begin to overcrowd the area of the body that they are invading. Eventually, the tumor may begin to press on nerves, bones, or organs which can cause significant pain. Tumors sometimes also release certain chemicals and toxins that can cause or exacerbate existing pain.
What are symptoms of cancer pain?
The specific symptoms of cancer pain vary depending on the cause and location of the pain as well as the type and extent of the cancer.
- Spinal cord compression – If a tumor presses on the nerves in the spine, it can cause consistent and often severe back and neck pain that is usually described as burning or tingling. Pain, numbness, and weakness in an arm or leg may also occur.
- Bone pain – If the cancerous cells spread to a bone, the intrusion can aggravate nerves and cause pain receptors to fire. This will often result in dull or aching pain at the site of the affected bone.
- Organ pain – If cancerous cells or a tumor invade the space of an internal organ, it can cause what is known as visceral pain. Unfamiliar cells in an organ can set off pain receptors or a tumor can compress an organ, resulting in a throbbing pressure pain.
- Cancer treatment pain – Several cancer treatments can take a hefty toll on the body, often resulting in chronic pain. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy have been known to cause peripheral neuropathy, sores in the throat and mouth, and radiation-induced burns and scarring.
How is cancer pain treated?
It is important to note that cancer and cancer pain are not the same thing. Cancer treatment is often a long and difficult process but managing cancer pain is different. There are a variety of treatments available to help reduce pain caused by cancer, ranging from conservative options like pain medication, to highly advanced, minimally invasive procedures like an intrathecal pump implant or OsteoCool ablation therapy. You can learn more about these treatment options below.
Schedule an appointment with Twin Cities Pain Clinic to learn how we can help relieve your cancer pain.
RELIEVE YOUR PAIN, RENEW YOUR LIFE!
