How is Cancer Pain Treated?
Cancer pain is very treatable. Approximately nine out of 10 cancer pain patients will find relief using a combination of medications. Although cancer pain is usually treated with medicine, other treatments such as radiation therapy, surgery, relaxation, biofeedback, imagery and other non-drug treatments can be used with medicine to give even more pain relief.
The following page lists the general types of pain medicine and the methods by which they are taken. Ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist for advice before you take any medicine for pain.
Types of Pain Medicine
Many medicines are used to treat cancer pain, and your doctor may give you one or more to take. The following list describes the broad groups of pain medicine and the kind of pain each works on. Information on specific pain medications and their side effects is located elsewhere on this website.
For mild to moderate pain
Nonopioids: Examples are acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin and ibuprofen. You can buy many of these over-the-counter (without a prescription). Others need a prescription.
For moderate to severe pain
Opioids: Examples are morphine, hydromorphone, oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, fentanyl and methadone. A prescription is needed for these medicines. Nonopioids may also be used along with opioids for moderate to severe pain.
For tingling and burning pain
Antidepressants: Examples are amitriptyline, imipramine, doxepin and trazodone. A prescription is needed for these medicines. Taking an antidepressant does not mean that you are depressed or have a mental illness.
Antiepileptics: Examples are gabapentin and other medications. A prescription is needed for these medicines. Taking an antiepileptic does not mean that you are going to have seizures.
For pain caused by swelling
Steroids: Examples are prednisone and dexamethasone. A prescription is needed for these medicines.
How Pain Medicine is Taken
Most pain medicine is taken by mouth (orally). Oral medicines are easy to take and usually cost less than other kinds of medicine. Most oral medicines are in tablet (pill) form, but sometimes they are liquids that you drink. If it is hard for you to swallow and you cannot take a tablet or liquid for some other reason, there are other ways to get these medicines. These include:
Rectal suppositories
Medicine that dissolves in the rectum and is absorbed by the body.
Transdermal patches
Patches that are filled with medicine and placed on the skin.
Many kinds of injections can give pain relief. Most injections use a tube or needle to place medicine directly into the body. Types of injection include:Subcutaneous - medicine is placed just under the skin using a small needle.
Intravenous - medicine is placed directly into a vein through a needle that stays in the vein. This method includes a type of pain managment called patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). PCA lets patients adjust how much medicine they receive according to their level of pain.
Epidural or intrathecal - medicine is placed directly into the back using a small tube. Most of these injections give pain relief that lasts for many hours.
Subdermal and intramuscular - commonly known as "shots," these injections are placed more deeply into the skin or muscle using a needle. These injections are not recommended for long-term cancer pain treatment. Constantly having shots into the skin and muscle can be painful.
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