Is Lung Cancer Painful? With no doubt, lung cancer is painful! But, Is Lung Cancer Pin constant? The lung cancer pain can be handled with the diagnosis and treatment at the right time. According to the statistics, around 75% of the lung cancer patients are living with acute or chronic pain, and the major sites of the body where the severe pain is experienced are chest and lumbar (lower back).

There are various symptoms which the patient experience during the Lung Cancer, out of which, one is a pain. But only in 20% of the Lung Cancer cases, the patient experiences pain at the initial stage, and as the stage of lung cancer progresses, the pain becomes even more severe. Lung Cancer pain at the final stage is most severe and is only bearable under certain kind of medicines and treatment.

So, it is very important to know about the pain management, no matter it is due to lung cancer and due to side effects of lung cancer treatment. Read the complete article, to know in detail about the causes of lung cancer pain, how to manage the lung cancer pain, and sources of lung cancer pain.

Causes of Lung Cancer Pain

There are three leading causes of lung cancer pain:

  • Pain in bones due to the metastasis of Lung Cancer. The total percentage of patients who are facing the pain of this type is approximately 34%.
  • About 31% of the lung cancer pain is due to the presence of a Pancoast tumor. This tumor is found at the top of the lung near to brachial plexus nerves and cervical sympathetic nerves.
  • In about 21% of the lung cancer cases, the pain originates when the cancer cells reach the chest walls.

Sources of Lung Cancer Pain

There are different sources which can give rise to Lung Cancer Pain:

  • Pain caused by cancer itself: Cancer can itself be the source of pain as the tumor in your lungs can get touched or pressed in the spine which can result in a sensation of chest or back pain.
  • Pain caused by the spreading of cancer to the other parts of the body: As we have already mentioned that 34% of the lung cancer patients are facing pain due to the presence of cancer cells in the parts other than lungs. So, when cancer advances and reaches its metastasis stage, it can be excruciating for the patient.
  • Pain due to your lung cancer treatment: Many times the patients experience lung cancer pain during the recovery after the treatment. Also, the Lung Cancer Treatment method like chemotherapy can lead to pain due to nerve damage or due to burning or tingling sensations on the hands and feet.
  • Pain caused by paraneoplastic syndromes: This type of pain is generated when the immune system attacks the normal cells along with the cancerous cells.

Lung Cancer Pain Management

It is essential to understand the methods to manage the lung cancer pain in order to maintain a healthy quality of life. Implement the following lung cancer pain management strategy for better handling of pain.

  • Radiation: Radiation Therapy can be beneficial in reducing the lung cancer pain. By using radiation therapy, the doctors aim to shrink the cancer tumor, so that the discomfort can get reduced.
  • Nerve Blocks: Medicines can be injected into the nerves to reduce the pain.
  • Medications: Certain types of medicines are very much helpful in the controlling the flow of pain. But it is strictly advised to consult with the doctor and take only the prescribed dose. An overdose of medicines can be very harmful to the body.
  • Surgery: Surgery is used when the doctors aim to remove the pain causing tumor partially or entirely to reduce the pain from the body.

By applying the above strategies, the patients can reduce the pain due to lung cancer. Apart from all these strategies, there are few other methods too which are used to get relief from pain like Relaxation therapy, biofeedback, nerve stimulation, acupuncture, guided imagery, hypnosis, exercise, physical therapy. So, consult with the doctor for the best method to get relief from pain in your case.

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