Pain Symptoms of Cancer Patients
Cancer pain can vary from person to person and depend on the location, type and severity of the cancer. Generally, cancer pain can be divided into three categories: background pain, breakthrough pain and incident pain.
Background pain: This type of pain is persistent, often mild to moderate in intensity, and can come and go over a long period of time. This type of pain is usually caused by the tumor itself, but may also be caused by inflammation, pressure on the nerves, or other treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation.
Breakthrough pain: This type of pain is sudden and severe, often occurring as a “flare-up” of the background pain. It is usually short-lived, lasting a few minutes to half an hour.
Incident pain: This type of pain is usually caused by a specific event, such as coughing, walking, or changing position. It is usually intense but short-lived.
The onset of pain can vary from person to person, but it is usually related to the progression of the cancer. In some cases, pain may be present even before the cancer is diagnosed. In other cases, pain may not appear until the cancer has spread to other parts of the body or the tumor has grown. Pain may also increase as the cancer progresses and becomes more advanced.
