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Many cancer patients are afraid of pain which is caused by the expansion of the cancer or its treatment. It is important that you know that nowadays cancer pain can most often be effectively treated. Moreover you should know that advancing illness does not automatically mean that pain will increases.

Pain can be generated by physical or mental causes. Physical pain and mental imbalances influence each other  and normally, there is no physical pain without a mental reaction and vice versa. Also social factors such as family conflicts influence pain. For this reason, the early and effective management of pain is important. 

The perception of pain varies from person to person, hence you may experience pain of the same intensity considerably less or more than others. Pain can, in principle, arise in any region of the body, and  by means of so called ‘pain pathways’, is then conveyed further to the brain by special signals. 

Pain associated with cancer is influenced by mental conditions as well as expectations. In particular, uncertainty, fear and accompanying physical symptoms like nausea or vomiting, can trigger a sense of helplessness (i.e. being at the mercy of ….) and therefore may increase the pain. For this reason, pain should always be treated by taking subjective experiences  as well as physical and mental  causes into consideration.  

For the management of cancer pain, highly effective drugs and non-pharmacological interventions are available. In the majority of cases, medication can be given as tablets, drops or a patch.   

To facilitate a effective therapy based on pain intensity, you will be asked by the treating doctor to describe the pain. Sometimes a graphic description (so called pain scales) are also used.

Despite adequate pain management, should you experience pain episodes – so called ‘breakthrough pain’ under certain circumstances, this should also be treated effectively.  

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