Life with pain in cancer treatment is not destiny…

The life expectancy of cancer patients is increasing day by day. Unfortunately, 70-90% of cancer patients experience pain at some point in their lives. This can have a negative effect not only on their daily lives but also on the course of their treatment. Modern treatment methods were discussed at the "Current treatment methods of cancer pain" meeting held at Yeditepe University Koşuyolu Hospital. It was pointed out that with new approaches, pain can now be prevented before it even comes…

Approximately 20-25 percent of patients may require interventional pain (nerve blocks, pain pump, etc.) treatment due to pain caused by the cancer disease itself, its treatment, or other accompanying causes. Because pain disrupts all the functions of the patient, the harmony and psychology of the body, and can disrupt the daily activities of life. It also negatively affects the treatment. Therefore, pain control has a very important place in maintaining the lives of cancer patients in Türkiye in a livable comfort. The meeting titled "Current treatment methods of cancer pain ", which brought together healthcare professionals, was held at Yeditepe University Koşuyolu Hospital. 

Pain Control Should Be Started with the Diagnosis

Underlining that it is not the patient's destiny to suffer while fighting cancer, Yeditepe University Koşuyolu Hospital Algology Specialist Prof. Dr. İlhan Öztekin pointed out that each patient could face pain differently and with violence. However, he stated that pain control should definitely be performed for the patient's life comfort after the diagnosis of cancer, regardless of its severity.

Since cancer pains are usually progressive pains, they also increase in parallel with the disease. With treatments for the treatment of the disease, it is not possible to eliminate the pain unless the pain is treated by a competent physician. Therefore, the patient enters into a vicious circle because they have no confidence in the drug or method. The patient's physiology, psychology, quality of life, and social relationships are deteriorating.

Modern Pain Treatments are Now in Place

Stating that this method has completely changed today while relieving the pain of patients with cancer pain in the past with morphine or other analgesics, Prof. Dr. İlhan Öztekin said, "In modern pain treatment, comprehensive pain treatment can be performed in 3 stages, namely, treatments to prevent pain by physicians and Algologists (Pain Specialists), who are dealing with Integrative Oncology (Oncology with Integrative Treatments), which is a new specialty applied especially in the United States, effective, interventional treatments when pain comes, and finally treatments to repair the damage it creates in the body after the pain is gone away."

Pain Control Increases Cancer Treatment Success by 80 Percent

Saying, "In the literature studies, it is seen that pain control increases the success of chemotherapy or radiotherapy methods by 80 percent in a patient receiving cancer treatment," Prof. Dr. İlhan Öztekin added, "For this reason, patients should not try to cope with their pain alone and should definitely share it with their physicians. It is of great importance that physicians question their patients about this issue because each patient's pain threshold may be different from each other. As cancer treatment requires a multidisciplinary treatment, medical and radiation oncologists and other branches dealing with cancer need to act together with algology specialists (especially those who have received Integrative Medicine Training)."

What methods are used to deal with pain?

The World Health Organization recommends step treatments for pain control. Accordingly;

• Drug treatments: Depending on the patient's condition, simple pain relievers, semi-synthetic but narcotic drugs, and strong drugs such as morphine can be used. In cases where the desired response is not obtained from the patient, interventional methods are used. Traditional and complementary medicine practices such as acupuncture, ozone therapy, and phytotherapy, which are applied in the field of Integrative Oncology, which has become a specialty, especially in the USA, can be applied together with other methods. It is seen that the quality of life of patients increases with these methods.
• Application of nerve blocks: This method is also divided into two in itself. The pain is temporarily stopped by making physiological changes with local anesthetic injections to the nerves related to the first method. The nerve endings are permanently destroyed by some drugs (such as alcohol, phenol) or radiofrequency (heat) to the nerves related to the other method. With the application of these methods in the early period, it helps in the progression of pain, unnecessary use of many narcotic painkillers, and prevention of side effects.
• Pain pump application in the spinal cord: Especially in patients with distant metastases and widespread pain, a lower dose but more effective pain treatment can be performed at the spinal cord level with central nerve blocks and by placing a permanent pump under the skin.