Pain in cancer

Pain in cancer occur in approximately 50 to 70 percent of all people affected by a tumor. The strength and frequency of pain is felt very different and depends on factors such as personal pain, the tumor type and stage of the disease.

Causes and symptoms of pain in cancer

Pain in cancer can have different causes. They are in most cases by the tumor itself and often triggered by the appropriate therapies. Factors such as lack of sleep or mental stress can intensify the pain. In addition, it can in people with cancer, of course, also lead to pain that are unrelated to the cancer and have a different cause, for example, migraine pain, or pain caused by nerve damage in diabetes mellitus.

Bone pain: Bone pain, for example, by leukemia or secondary tumors (metastases) triggered in bone. By irritation of the periosteum surrounding the bone it can cause inflammation and swelling. The bone mass can be reduced. The pain occurs only at the beginning of movement, and later also at rest.

Body pain: They arise when tumors expand and press on nearby organs, grow into them, or closing hollow organs such as ureters. The cramping pains manifest themselves as pressure or pain and stress.

Nerve Pain: Growing tumors and swelling can press on nerves. Tumors can grow even in nervous tissue. Also, radiation and chemotherapy or surgery can cause nerve damage and associated pain.

Pain caused by poor circulation: It may be that by the tumor specific body parts are no longer sufficiently supplied with blood and oxygen because blood vessels are blocked. This leads to the affected body part in pain due to poor circulation.

Muscle and skin pain: Oppressive and ingrowing tumors can destroy the skin or irritate nerves and cause pain. Other causes are inflamed wounds after surgery or irritation after radiation or chemotherapy.

Pain after surgery: pain after surgical procedures such as tissue sampling (biopsy) usually disappear as soon as the healing occurs. There are often some of them only months after an operation on particularly sensitive areas of the body to burn pain. After amputation of sufferers report occasional burning pain that occurs in spurts. Phantom pain is then said to occur when there in the remote part of the body causes pain. In contrast, stump pain is pain emanating from newly formed nerve fibers.

Pain caused by chemotherapy, pain and irritation that may occur during chemotherapy, are caused by the medications given. Consequence of chemotherapy can be painful mucosal inflammation as well as burning and tingling hands and feet. Often, the complaints until some time after treatment.

On the irradiated skin site can occur after treatment for pain that are similar to a sunburn: pain by radiotherapy. The skin is red and burns. Cramping abdominal pain is the result of an intestinal irradiation, while neck pain on the possible symptoms after exposure to the air or esophagus count. Radiotherapy near the shoulders or the spine can damage nerves and cause pain as well.

Diagnosis of cancer pain

In order to treat cancer pain, the doctor will provide the best possible way to diagnose affected many questions, such as the type, frequency and location of the pain. The goal is to accurately represent the pain as possible. It may also succeed by pain diary, which must lead the victim for several weeks. In addition to the general examination and an oncology and neurological examination in the diagnosis flow with one.

Treatment of cancer pain

People need not endure cancer pain. The basic therapy with drugs is based on the level scheme of the World Health Organization (WHO), considered as a guideline for the treatment of pain associated with cancer and regulates the use of opiates. This is in slight pain, treatment with mild analgesics are given strong pain while also potent drugs. Pain medications are the mainstay in the treatment of cancer pain. The therapy can be further supplemented.

    Level 1 (for mild pain):
    For mild pain, opioids are still not used. Victims are treated, for example, with paracetamol, metamizol or aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
    Level 2 (for moderate to severe pain):
    Treatment consists of weak and moderately strong opioids. These are, for example, tramadol, tilidine and dihydrocodeine. They are combined in an individual case, even with medication of level 1.
    Level 3 (with severe to unbearable pain):
    In people with severe to very severe pain potent painkillers needed. The opioids such as morphine, buprenorphine, fentanyl, hydromorphone, or oxycodone levomethadone.


In addition to the opioids, other drugs (co-analgesics) may be used concomitantly in therapy. This co-analgesics may affect the transmission and processing of pain, which is why they support the treatment of pain.

Administration of pain medication

The administration of medication is tailored to the individual situation by means of tablets, lozenges, drops, suppositories, patches, pumps or injections. So it is possible to consider the pain severity of the patient and the desired duration of effect. For example, an interested party is currently in chemotherapy and he has already received medication for a permanent venous access, it can also be used for the administration of pain medication using a pump.

Further treatment of pain in cancer

In order to feel their pain as less severe affected, can also be a variety of relaxation techniques such as autogenic training or muscle relaxation exercises, Jacobson used. In addition, acupuncture for pain treatment is appropriate. By means of a painful psychological therapy can often handle anxiety better. You can learn to help those affected to talk about their own feelings or relieve stress within the family.

Course of cancer pain

People who are affected by cancer pain have a good chance of relief. In about 85 percent occurs with treatment of pain, an improvement of symptoms.

If left untreated can become chronic pain in cancer and become independent. This means that pain may permanently lose their original meaning. The pain is affected by attention then no longer a danger to the body. Instead, burden of chronic pain, increasingly affected by weakening the mentally and physically.

How can you prevent pain in cancer?

If pain occurs in cancer, those affected should immediately tell their doctor. Only then can the pain be treated and a chronic, which means a permanent presence of pain and an independence of the pain can be prevented.