Cancer pain management involves an evaluation of the patient’s condition, their level of pain, the cause of the pain (whether from cancer or the treatments), a review of medical history, and possible contraindications that the pain management specialist should be aware of. Cancer pain management often involves several different therapies; the therapies utilized vary from one patient to the next and depend on several factors, such as the area experiencing pain, the type of cancer, the severity of the pain, the duration of the pain, and the lifestyle of the patient.

Cancer pain is one of the most challenging symptoms that people with cancer experience – it can range from a dull ache to a throbbing, burning sensation that is almost impossible to ignore. It can also cause a variety of other symptoms, such as nausea, diarrhea, muscle weakness, and confusion. The causes of cancer pain are complex and may be inherently linked with cancer itself, or may result from the treatments used to combat cancer, such as radiation or chemotherapy; modern cancer treatments are very hard on the body and can often result in several different complications, such as weight loss, hair loss and cell damage (typically in the mouth, digestive tract, reproductive system and blood-forming cells in the bone marrow).

The treatment options for cancer pain include:

• STAR™: STAR is a revolutionary cancer pain treatment that helps patients deal with the pain caused by cancer. It is palliative (relieves pain without dealing with its cause) and has proven to be highly effective when used in tandem with cancer treatments, as it does not interfere with other cancer treatments.
• Cancer Pain Pump: The cancer pain pumps offered at Ramos Center are targeted drug therapy treatments that use the ITB (Intrathecal Baclofen) Therapy pump system. ITB is a targeted drug therapy that will distribute medication directly from a subdermal (under the skin) pump, into the area of the spinal cord that is affected.
• Ganglion Impar Block: Ganglion Impar Blocks are used to treat cancer pain in some situations and involve an injection of sympathetic nerve blocks that can be used in the treatment of pain secondary to malignancy (cancer).
• Splanchnic Plexus Block: If cancer pain occurs in the abdomen, it can be managed with splanchnic plexus blocks; these involve an injection of pain medicine into the splanchnic nerves, located on both sides of the spine.

Other treatments for cancer pain include:

•   Peripheral Nerve Blocks
•   Pudendal Nerve Block
•   Clinical Hypnotherapy
•   Behavioral Health
 
If you are experiencing cancer pain, know that you do not have to suffer; help is available at Ramos Center. We have Florida locations to better serve you: Bradenton FL, Sarasota FL, Venice FL, Englewood FL, Port Charlotte FL, Dunedin FL and St. Petersburg, FL. We look forward to serving you! We serve patients from Bradenton FL, Sarasota FL, Palmetto FL, Laurel FL, Venice FL, Englewood FL, Cortez FL, Memphis FL, Port Charlotte FL, and Dunedin FL.