Pain and cancer are inseparable. If you or someone close to you is a cancer patient, you will often experience excruciating pain around the area of the body that has cancer. For example, patients who have cancer in the abdominal cavity, including cancer of the pancreas, stomach, intestines, and liver, will often feel pain in the abdomen. Although it is common, the pain experienced by cancer patients is not something that should be left alone because this pain can interfere with cancer patients in carrying out their daily activities.
Pain experienced by cancer patients can occur due to several reasons. Pain can originate from the cancer itself or from the pressure and damage experienced by the tissues around the cancer. Cancer cells contained in the patient's body as if biting the bone. You can imagine how cancer patients feel incredible pain. In certain cases, this pain can occur for a long time, even up to 24 hours.
Pain caused by cancer can also be affected by the size of the tumor. The larger the size of the tumor, the greater the pressure on bones, nerves and other organs so that the pain felt by cancer patients becomes more severe.
Aside from the cancer cells themselves, pain can also appear as a side effect of cancer treatment therapies such as chemotherapy. These side effects can even reappear even though the patient is cancer free.
Pain Management for Cancer in the Stomach Area
As technology develops in the field of cancer treatment and management, now there are several actions and therapies that can help reduce the pain felt by cancer patients, especially cancer in the abdominal cavity. Generally, the therapy and actions given will be adjusted to the level or scale of the pain that is felt.
For cancer patients in the stomach area who feel pain on a scale of 0 – 4 or are included in the mild category, patients can take pain relievers such as paracetamol. If you or someone close to you who is a stomach cancer patient feels pain on a scale of 5-6 which is in the moderate category, the doctor can give codeine, strong opioids, and tramadol. For cancer patients who feel pain on a scale of 7-10 or are included in the severe category, the hospital will give morphine.
Action Celiac Ganglion Blockade
In addition to prescribing drugs, EMC hospitals have other types of pain management measures to deal with complaints of pain in cancer patients in the stomach area, namely ganglion celiac blockade. This action is performed through an approach to the front of the abdomen (anterior) assisted by a C-arm (a movable X- ray device). A special needle will be inserted into the skin at the top of the abdomen. Then, a mixture of alcohol and contrast fluid will be injected through the needle. After this procedure is completed, patients with cancer in the stomach area will experience a significant reduction in pain by up to 95%. Therefore, this action is recommended to reduce pain quickly and precisely.
Whatever the action and method, the best way to deal with pain in cancer patients is to provide treatment as soon as possible. You or someone close to you who has cancer has the right to carry out daily activities comfortably without being overshadowed by pain, even pain on a mild scale. For this reason, if pain due to cancer occurs, do not delay in consulting with your doctor and immediately take the most appropriate action and therapy to deal with the pain you feel. #LiveExcellently