CANCER PAIN: FAST FACTS, MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS

Fast Facts

· This year, 1.22 million cases of cancer (excluding simple skin cancers) will be diagnosed in the United States.

· Anyone can get cancer, but most cases are diagnosed after age 55.

· The National Cancer Institute estimates that 8.4 million Americans are alive today who have had or are battling cancer.

· About half of all cancer patients report experiencing pain. When cancer is advanced, three-fourths or more of people with cancer say they have pain.

· Cancer pain can be relieved in nearly every case. There are many ways to treat cancer pain, ranging from traditional and alternative medicines to injections and surgery.

· Cancer costs the United States an estimated $107 billion a year — $37 billion in direct medical costs, $11 billion in indirect costs (such as lost productivity due to illness) and $59 billion in indirect mortality costs (lost productivity due to premature death).

Myths and Misconceptions

The vast majority of cancer patients can get pain relief simply but are afraid to ask or misunderstand their pain-relief options, according to the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research. Here are some of the most common misperceptions:

Myth: If I take narcotics for my pain, I'll become an addict.
Truth: Drug addiction is defined as regularly taking an opiate (or narcotic) for physical, emotional or psychological needs other than medical ones. Pain relief is a medical reason for taking such drugs, so you are not an addict, no matter how often you take them or how much you use them for pain. Drug addiction in cancer patients is rare.

Myth: Pain is inevitable when you have cancer.
Truth: Some cancer patients never experience pain. Most cancer pain can be relieved.

Myth: I should tolerate the pain.
Truth: Taking pain medication doesn't mean you are a weak person. Untreated pain takes a toll on your body and your spirit.

Myth: I'm afraid to talk to my doctor about my pain because he'll think I'm a coward or exaggerating the situation.
Truth: Only you know how much pain you feel, and you have a right to have it treated. If your doctor cannot or will not help you, you should seek care elsewhere.

Myth: I'm hurting more. My cancer must be getting worse.
Truth: Pain can occur for any number of reasons and at any time in the course of your illness. If you have been on a stable dose of medicine to relieve pain and suddenly the medication no longer helps, report this to your oncologist or the physician who is managing your pain.

Myth: Nobody wants to hear me complain about my pain.
Truth: Keeping your discomfort to yourself does not make you a "good" patient. Telling your health professional how you feel will help in your treatment.