If left untreated, cancers often spread to vital organs and involve the brain, liver, bone marrow, and lungs, often leading to death. Treating a variety of cancers, especially if diagnosed early, can increase a person’s chances of survival. Some people with cancer experience a lot of pain during their illness, while others do not have pain. But are cancers always painful? Our doctors will continue to answer your questions.
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Pain in cancers
Most people with cancer will feel pain when the tumor has spread, which means that the tumor often progresses and spreads, often creating a painful condition for the person. But not all cancers are necessarily painful; some patients do not have pain during their period of cancer, usually the tumor is painful when it is located near the nerve fibers and spreads. Tumors that are far from nerve fibers will often be painless, For example, tumors that spread to the bone have the most pain. The tumor can put pressure on the nerves and cause pain as they grow, or the chemicals released from the tumor can stimulate pain receptors and cause very painful conditions.
Types of pain in cancer
Pain in cancers is caused by tumor spread, tumor size increase, or recurrence and progression, and will cause pain in the person with the following various qualities:
- Dull pain
- Burning pain
- Sharp pain
- Pain in people with cancer can be in the form of generalized muscle pain or myalgia.
- Sometimes a group of muscles may have more severe pain than the rest of the muscles
- Sometimes a person complains of pain in a limb or organs inside his body
- Sometimes the pain is temporary and sometimes it is continuous
What is Burish pain?
Pain in people with cancer often intensifies in the evening and at night. In these people, the pain has a special circadian cycle called Burish pain. This type of pain is actually a type of pain that is formed due to damage to nerve fibers or neuropathies. Secondary pain in cancer is often not completely curable, but your doctor will be able to play an important role in relieving and reducing the pain.
What factors depend on the incidence of cancers?
Among the effective factors in the occurrence of pain following cancers, the following can be mentioned:
- Type of cancer
- Cancer progress rate (stage)
- Pain tolerance threshold of the affected person
- Underlying diseases of the affected person
- The general health of the affected person
Pain in cancers after surgery
Pain can be caused by surgery and cancer treatments. For example, some chemotherapy drugs can cause body aches and joint pain or headaches. If a person has cancer and does not receive treatment, there is still the possibility of pain because a tumor can cause pain on its own by pressing on nerves, bones and nearby organs.
Tumor spread to the bone
Cancers that initially form in the bone or tumors that spread to the bone as they progress can be associated with very severe bone pain.
Treatment of tumors spread to the bone
Common therapies such as radiation therapy can control the amount of pain by treating weakened bones.
There are also radioactive drugs that strengthen the bones after they enter from the inside. Drugs such as bisphosphonates can also reduce your pain by protecting the damaged bones. But these treatments are not painkillers, and besides, you will still need painkillers.
Tumor spread to the spinal cord
Primary tumors in the spinal cord or tumors that spread to the spinal cord put pressure on the spinal nerve roots and cause pain.
Back pain or neck pain can lead to numbness and weakness in the arms or legs. In addition to pain due to tumor pressure on the spinal cord, persistent cough, etc. may occur, Failure to see a doctor and not start treatment can have serious complications.
Complications of not treating cancers
Most cancers are progressive diseases and progress without proper treatment, meaning that the majority of cancers do not go away or go untreated without treatment. Some ovarian tumors and some acute lymphomas and leukemias and multiple myeloma can cause fatal and painful conditions without treatment. Failure to treat pain during cancer greatly reduces a person’s ability to fight the disease
The final words
Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery to treat tumors can be associated with complications and pain. Without the support of the medical team and pain control, people with cancer cannot complete their treatment well.
Uncontrolled pain can cause many side effects in the tumor treatment process.
If you control the pain, the effectiveness of medications and treatments for the tumor will be much greater