How to Manage Liver Cancer Pain
In addition to attempting to eradicate the cancer within the body, a secondary goal of cancer treatment is to help individuals cope with the symptoms of cancer, including dealing with the localized and systemic pain that is often present as cancer spreads. According to the cancer information site CancerCompass.com, liver cancer is only truly able to be "cured" when it has been detected at an early stage. But even if your cancer is beyond that stage, steps can be taken to minimize the pain.
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Consult with your physician to formulate a pain management plan. When considering pain-relief measures, stage of cancer, where it has spread and patient concerns (such as pain threshold and side effects of pain-relieving medication) will be considered. According to the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, pain assessment begins with a determination of the location of the pain, its intensity, the duration, its effect on life quality and patient coping ability.
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Consider pain-relief medication when side effects from these medications are less of a factor than the severity of the pain itself. Although prescription medications such as Tylenol 3 and Vicodin can provide some measure of relief against transient pain, these medications carry some risks, such as the necessity for escalating dosages and the potential for addiction.
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Consider palliative therapy in cases where the cancer has spread to other organs of the body. Palliative therapy is the application of traditional cancer therapies such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, but, unlike "normal" versions of these treatments, which attempt to force the cancer into remission, the goal of palliative therapy is to control some of the symptoms of the cancer and provide some relief from pain.
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