Cancer pain refers to cancerous pain, which is due to various cancers, causing problems such as nerve compression, so that the patient produces pain phenomena.
Many people think that cancer pain is paroxysmal pain, as long as the appropriate medication can play a rapid pain relief effect. But many people believe that cancer pain is severe and persistent pain. So, is cancer pain a labor pain or a persistent pain?
Whether the cancer pain is paroxysmal or persistent pain is generally determined according to the degree of the disease. Most cancers do not feel very intense pain in the early stages of cancer, and are generally intermittent and vague.
Only when the condition continues to progress and progresses to the middle of the disease will the patient's pain be obvious, such as paroxysmal pain.
However, with the gradual development of the disease, once it enters the later stage, almost all cancers will have a more intense pain phenomenon. This pain then shifts to persistent pain, causing great pain to the patient.
What are the characteristics of cancer pain?
1. Intermittent and repeated pain
Most cancers experience intermittent pain in the early stages and from early to mid-stage development. These pains are not very severe, but they may show a vague or tender feeling.
For example, when suffering from stomach cancer, liver cancer, bowel cancer and other cancers, there will be a faint pain in the abdomen. Or when pressed with the hand, a feeling of tenderness may occur. Although this pain is not severe, it will relieve itself, but it will recur and be obviously intermittent.
2. Persistent severe pain
If the cancer enters the middle stage, such as when suffering from pancreatic cancer, even if it is only in the early to mid-stage stages of development, because the tumor has severely compressed the abdominal nerve, it will cause the patient to have a very severe pain phenomenon. but
Some other cancers, such as the most common lung cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer, bowel cancer and other cancers, only the cancer in the process of transitioning from the middle stage to the advanced stage, and when entering the advanced stage, the tumor will compress some surrounding nerves, and the pressure inside the tumor will increase, and metastasis will occur.
And cancer cells secrete chemicals that can cause pain, which can cause patients to have persistent and severe pain.
3. All-round pain
Regardless of the type of cancer, once it enters the advanced stage, the pain sensation is all-round pain. Pain may occur in any part of the patient except the site of the lesion. The reason for this condition, in addition to factors such as nerve compression and cancer metastasis, also has a great relationship with the patient's mental factors.
Can cancer pain be relieved?
Cancer pain is generally divided into mild, moderate and severe three kinds, in mild cancer pain, patients can take acetaminophen, aspirin and other non-opioid analgesic drugs for pain relief.
If it is moderate, then the patient needs to take weak opioids for pain relief, such as tramadol or codeine. If severe pain is severe, then patients should take strong opioid analgesics, such as morphine, which have some pain relief effect.
In summary, whether the pain caused by cancer pain is paroxysmal pain or persistent pain depends on the degree of cancer, or the type of cancer. Most early-stage cancers experience intermittent, vague pain, and persistent, severe pain only in the middle and advanced stages.
In addition, cancer pain also has the above three characteristics. Then cancer patients in the appearance of pain phenomenon, according to the pain symptoms appropriately take a series of painkiller drugs, can play a certain pain relief effect.