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With any disease or ailment, pain can be a large part of what we’re faced with, either as a symptom or a side-effect of the therapies used to treat the disease. Cancer pain is a ‘catch-all’ term used to describe the pain people feel when they have cancer, and pain management with cancer is one of the most important tools when it comes to increasing quality of life.
Our team is here to listen and support you.
Pain management with cancer is complex, because the types of pain a person with cancer can experience vary widely. Even people with the same type of cancer can experience different kinds of pain, and the way you experience that pain (if you do) will be impacted by:
Pain management with cancer is dependent on first identifying the type of cancer pain you’re experiencing. For something so subjective, the more words we have for it, the easier it is to communicate with a treatment team who can help. When it comes to categorising different types of cancer pain, considering both how long it lasts, and where in the body it affects you can be helpful.
Understanding the different types of cancer pain can help with pain management, as it gives you a vocabulary when you’re talking to doctors and other medical professionals.
Describing pain can be as difficult as describing how something tastes or smells – to a certain extent, it’s very individual. Only you can describe your pain, but the better you’re able to convey how it impacts you to your treatment team, the sooner they’ll be able to help you get on top of it.
Some of the questions you might be asked – or that you might like to think about before your appointment, include:
Pain management with cancer is dependent on the cause and type of pain you’re experiencing, but some options might be:
Dealing with cancer pain can take a big toll on your mental health, which is why it’s important to remember there is hope, and even if it takes some time to figure out the correct treatment for your specific pain, The World Health Organisation estimates that the right medicine, in the right dose, given at the right time, can relieve 80–90% of cancer pain.
Opioids are sometimes prescribed for pain management with cancer, however it’s important to understand the risks involved, as long-term opioid use is not considered safe. That said, if you are dealing with advanced cancer, or receiving palliative treatment, opioids can be a very successful option for managing cancer pain.
One of the most important tools to manage chronic cancer pain is the development of a pain management. A pain management plan is a working document in which you record your goals for pain management with cancer, the treatments and strategies that might work, and the potential side-effects you might expect, along with how to deal with them.
It’s something that should be created in collaboration with your GP and your treatment team, and a lot of people with chronic cancer pain find it’s an effective way to keep on top of chronic pain. It’s something you can then review and revise as you go.
Going through cancer can be challenging enough, but dealing with pain and discomfort adds another layer of difficulty. You are not alone. We offer a range of support information and services to help you navigate and get through the pain of cancer and treatment, including if you’re a carer, family member or friend of someone who has been diagnosed.
No, not all cancer can even be felt, and the type of cancer pain you may feel will depend on many factors and may not necessarily correspond to the severity of the disease.
Yes, tumours can hurt – they can impinge on surrounding tissue or create nerve pain or organ pain as well. Tumours can also be painless though, so it is important to have any unusual symptoms or lumps checked, regardless of your level of pain.
There are so many different types of cancer pain. Even people with the same type of cancer can experience different types and levels of pain. Pain can either come and go,or be constant. It can be referred to another area of the body or can be experienced as numbness or tingling.
Cancer pain can present in almost infinite ways. It can be acute or chronic, radiating or localised, referred or visceral. The type of pain you experience depends on several factors and is individual to each person.
