Treatment of cancer pain in holistic care

The article was written by TS.BS Bui Hanh Tam - Anesthesiologist resuscitation and pain treatment, Department of Anesthesiology and Anesthesia - Vinmec Times City International Hospital

Cancer pain is increasing due to increased cancer rates, and at the same time cancer is detected and treated early with a longer survival prognosis. The incidence of pain in cancer depends on the type of cancer. A recent study, with an average pain rate of about 73% of primary and secondary cancer patients, the highest of which was 93% of pancreatic cancer patients, 92% of bone and muscle cancer patients had pain.

With such a high rate of cancer pain, up to 69% of patients have pain that affects daily activities. Half of them are not fully concerned about the disease process that affects the quality of daily life. Cancer pain is a complex type of pain caused by the tumor itself, by the progression of the disease, invasion of nearby organs, or pain caused by the treatment itself, such as surgery, chemotherapy, or even surgery. treatment, radiotherapy.

Pain is a symptom but also a disease in another chronic disease, cancer The treatment of pain is known when the patient talks and describes it to the doctor because not all tumors cause pain and not all tumors. All stages of cancer have pain.
Pain management in cancer requires communication between all doctors, health care workers, families, but the chain involved in the treatment and care of the patient.
Therefore, the patient needs to know how to use words to describe the nature of pain such as: sharp pain, aching pain, pain like electric shock, stabbing... To describe the intensity of pain: dull pain, intermittent pain. pain, constant pain, sometimes severe pain that subsides...

Pain needs early intervention treatment, parallel to cancer treatment Pain from cancer can be caused by an inflammatory reaction, due to tumor necrosis due to tumor invasion into other organs or nerve damage during disease progression. Pain after surgery or radiation therapy is a common phenomenon, sometimes appearing late, so it is easy to ignore and pay little attention because both the medical team and family focus heavily on cancer-specific treatment.
Cancer pain must be considered a priority in the Center of excellent treatment >>> Pain treatment for cancer patients
At Vinmec, the cooperation of pain treatment doctors, Oncologists, pharmacists, emergency physicians and surgeons make up a comprehensive care team.
For some pain conditions in cancer, which cannot be controlled with oral drugs, intramuscular injections, intravenous infusions, skin patches, the application of more specialized methods such as nerve blockade , nerve destruction, and intraspinal analgesia are useful options.
With 50% of patients after being diagnosed with cancer, have a life expectancy of more than 10 years, the quality of life needs to be more deeply concerned. These intensive pain management steps are intended to reduce the pain burden for cancer patients and the care burden for healthcare workers and their families as today's cancer treatments are so advanced and get good result.