Pain Management

Mesothelioma patients often suffer from a great deal of pain as a result of their illness. Tumors can press on nerves, organs or bones causing pain ranging from mild to severe. There can also be pain associated with the mesothelioma treatment itself - whether treatment is from surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. Psychological pain associated with the knowledge that you have cancer or the belief that the demands of cancer are burdensome to family and friends can be difficult, as well.

The three most common types of pain are:

•chronic pain may vary from mild to severe and persists over a long period of time
•acute pain is short in duration, quite sudden and severe
•breakthrough pain describes when someone experiences pain when his or her chronic pain is normally controlled by medication
Many patients are unaware of the numerous resources available that can help them feel better - some of them at no cost. There is no benefit to enduring this pain as it can cause problems with sleep, activity and movement, make a patient less likely to eat, increase depression, and interfere with how a patient interacts with family and friends. There are several things that can be done to control pain, but you must help your doctor assess your pain and outline a treatment plan. Untreated, pain can diminish a patient’s quality of life.