Many cancer patients suffer from so-called tumor pain. It can be triggered by the tumor itself, for example, if it presses on nerves or displaces other organs. But cancer treatment, especially surgery, can also cause pain. This pain can have a severe impact on your life. However, you do not have to endure tumor pain. In most cases, the pain can be managed.
Here you will find further information and selected tumor pain specialists and centers.
Cancer patients can experience tumor pain of varying intensity for various reasons. Causes include
Tumor pain is a great burden for the person affected. It leads to restrictions
But: you don't just have to put up with pain. In 90% of patients suffering from cancer, it is possible to greatly alleviate or completely eliminate tumor pain.
In order to treat the pain properly, the doctor carries out a diagnostic examination. He then initiates pain treatment. However, if you continue to suffer from severe pain or side effects from the painkiller, do not hesitate to seek a second medical opinion.
It is helpful to keep a pain diary to record tumor pain. It helps to recognize pain triggers in good time. It also helps to plan and dose the medication correctly. This allows you and your doctor to react better to the circumstances.
Using a pain diary, you can, for example, establish a connection between a hectic daily routine and an increase in pain. A change in your lifestyle would then be necessary.
There are already forms for pain diaries. Ask your doctor for them.
The following information should be recorded in the pain diary:
The cornerstone of treatment is causal therapy, i.e. treating the cancer by means of
This treatment is not always sufficient to alleviate tumor pain. Pain medication is then used. Drug treatment is usually fast-acting and relatively low-risk.
The type of pain determines which painkillers you receive. The duration of action of the medication determines the intervals at which the medication is taken. Medication is generally administered according to the WHO staging plan. This is a scheme drawn up by the WHO (World Health Organization).
Non-opiate analgesics are sufficient for mild to moderate pain. These are also known as peripherally acting analgesics. These include, for example, the substances
In addition to their pain-relieving effect, some of these analgesics also have an anti-inflammatory effect. Please never take (even over-the-counter) medication over a longer period of time without consulting your doctor. Your doctor knows which medication is suitable for you and can recognize possible side effects at an early stage.
Medication helps quickly and reliably against pain © Lyudmyla V | AdobeStock
In addition to painkillers, it is also possible to be prescribed adjuvant medication. These supplement pain therapy. They alleviate symptoms that are causally related to the tumor pain or can trigger or intensify it. These include
Psychotropic drugs, i.e. antidepressants, tranquilizers or neuroleptics, help against this.
Corticosteroids are also frequently used for tumor pain in order to combat pain caused by inflammatory processes. A positive side effect of this treatment is the increase in appetite and improvement in mood caused by corticosteroids.
Talk to your doctor immediately if the pain relief is unsatisfactory or severe side effects occur. There may be another medication that is more suitable.
If the tumor pain is severe or becomes more severe over time, opioids are the drugs of choice. These include morphine, oxycodone or hydromorphone, for example.
These painkillers are usually taken orally, i.e. by mouth in the form of tablets or drops. This minimizes side effects and guarantees the simplest possible administration routes.
Newer morphine preparations are available in slow-release form. Slow-release means that the active ingredient is released gradually and evenly. This ensures the desired pain relief over a long period of time.
Such preparations only need to be taken once or twice a day, for example. Patients with swallowing difficulties can open the delayed-release capsules and take the contents with a little liquid. However, this is only possible with some preparations.
If the pain cannot be significantly alleviated, intravenous administration of opioids may be necessary. So-called PCA pump systems have proven to be particularly effective here. These allow the patient to administer the required dose of morphine as needed without the risk of overdosing.
PCA pumps can also be used as a continuous infusion at home after consultation.
Although the advantages of opioids for pain therapy outweigh the disadvantages, their use is still subject to many prejudices.
In particular, the fear of addiction and dependency is mentioned time and again. However, this fear is unfounded, especially if the basic rule - regular intake according to schedule - is observed. When the level of the active substance is consistently high, the euphoric (happiness-inducing) and thus addictive mechanism no longer applies.
Another unfounded prejudice: opioids have a dampening effect and thus prevent social contact. The dampening effect, like the nausea, is only present in the first few days of treatment. It then disappears in most cases.
Another side effect of treatment with opioids isconstipation. However, it is present from the start of treatment and should be treated in good time, preferably as a preventative measure. There are also medications for this, such as laxatives (laxatives).
You can also do something about constipation yourself by simple means, e.g.
Medication is not the only way to reduce pain. Other methods include
It is beyond the scope of this guide to list and describe them all.
Talk to your doctor and/or pain therapist about other possible procedures and have their use explained to you in detail. Many of these measures are covered by health insurance, but you should clarify this in advance.
Make use of all the options that could help you.
Here are some suggestions for relatives and patients to help them cope better with pain and the disease in everyday life.
Advice for patients:
Advice for relatives:
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