Even though palliative care is only for pain management and symptoms
of an illness and not curative, it’s still an important part of the treatment
regimen for those suffering from any illness, especially mesothelioma. Pain associated with mesothelioma increases as
the disease increases with severity. The most common pain experienced chest
pain, which are often the first signs of the illness.
As the cancerous tumors grow, they impact vital organs
making it difficult to breathe, or even digest food. Many studies have explored
the pathophysiology of pain to have a better understanding on how to achieve
maximum control over pain.
Managing pain is more than just managing overall physical
comfort because pain can affect mental health as well. If left untreated, pain
can lead to a lack of concentration, anxiety and depression, and even disturb
sleep cycles. It can be difficult to maintain a positive attitude with any
cancer diagnosis, and feelings of despair can be greatly exasperated if the
pain is unbearable or out of control. Palliative treatment plans for
mesothelioma patients are often done with medication, though radiation and surgical
techniques many be used in more severe cases.
Minor pain can be curbed with ibuprofen or acetaminophen and
possibly codeine if the pain is a bit worse. Severe pain is typically prescribed
opioids such as morphine, though there are concerns about the addictive nature
of opioids after just a few uses. Doctors should prescribe accordingly. In some
instances, medical marijuana has been proven to show palliative benefits;
however, it may not be available in every state.
Radiation therapy does have some curative benefits for
mesothelioma patients because it causes tumor shrinkage, but typically radiotherapy
is used for palliative care, as the smaller tumors lessen the symptoms.
Palliative care may not always have the have the desired
results so in many cases, patients are given alternative therapies such as psychological
techniques such as relaxation, breathing techniques, massages, or even acupuncture
to help cope with the pain from mesothelioma.
Pain management for mesothelioma is multifaceted because the tumors
infiltrate multiple areas; bone and surrounding soft tissue and different
nerves are all affected and trigger different types of pain. Even though
scientists and researchers have made great progress in treating mesothelioma, the
overall prognosis remains poor as there is no cure. Focusing on pain management
and alleviating symptoms aims to have the patient and their family to be able
to deal with the diagnosis both physically and emotionally.
Source:
J. Saunders, “Pain management in patients with malignant
mesothelioma: challenges and solutions,” Lung Cancer (Auckland) (April 2,
2019). [Link]