As if the cancer wasn't enough! Understanding and treating the pain that comes with cancer

In people with cancer, pain often occurs from the malignancy, from procedures done to diagnose, stage, and treat the malignancy, and from the toxicities of therapy used in treating the cancer. Of people with cancer, 75% complain of some sort of pain. Determining whether the pain is from tissue damage or nerve structures will guide therapy. Assessment of the severity of the pain by location, oncological type, as well as psychosocial and environmental factors are necessary to understand and treat the pain that accompanies cancer. Medical interventions include non-opioid analgesics opioids, and multiple different combinations of medications. Adjuvant medication like anticonvulsants and steroids are being used frequently to help people feel more comfortable. The authors have stated that they do not have a significant financial interest or other relationship with any product manufacturer or provider of services discussed in this article. The authors do not discuss the use of off-label products, which includes unlabeled, unapproved, or investigative products or devices.