Definition

Pain is one of the five major vital signs (heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, body temperature, and pain). The reasons cause pain in cancer patients are as follows:

• Abnormal growth and spread of tumor: Resulting in organ swelling, compression, blocking, ischemia, inflammation or necrosis; Invading bones, nerves, muscles, and lymph nodes when metastasizing to these areas.
• Due to diagnosis and treatment process: including chemical, radioactive and surgical treatments, and might accompany with complications.
• Consolidated pain with previous ones:  Chronic back soreness and pain, and arthritis.

Approximately half of the cancer patients will experience pain, lack of vigor, difficulty with sleep, anxiety, dry mouth, nervous, perception of tension, constipation, sadness, or restlessness and vertigo.

Pain has always been the major unconformable symptom among 50~60% of cancer patients. About 76% of cancer patients experience medium to severe degree of pain while three fourths of the patients use painkiller with considerably well pain treatment effect.

How do I express may pain? Use the pain evaluation scale.

• 0 point means no pain at all and 10 points means the most extreme pain you can imagine.

What are the treatment methods available for pain?

• The general methods for treating pain include:  1) Use of painkiller: Remember to consult with your physician prior to the use of any medicine; 2) Rehabilitation and exercise; 3) Cold or hot compress or massage; 4) Acupuncture; or 5) Other invasive treatment.
• The doctors will prescribe different intensity of non-prescriptive analgesic agent or prescribed analgesic agent according to your degree of pain and help you alleviate the pain.
• Analgesic agent dispending, including: injection, oral administration or patch.

All medicines are likely to come with side effects while painkiller is no exception. Therefore please 1) Follow the advice of your doctor about the dosage and frequency in order to take the medication correctly; 2) In case of experiencing any discomfort, inform your physician or nurses immediately.

How do I describe pain to the doctors and nurses?

• Degree of pain
• Area of pain
• The onset time of pain?
• How long could the pain last?
• How is the pain feel like?
• The impact of pain on your daily life.

You just need to…

• Be brave and tell the doctor of your pain trouble.
• Correctly describe the score of your pain.
• Take your painkiller on schedule.

After taking the medicine, continue to evaluate your pain. If the pain persists, please describe your pain again.