Lung Cancer Pain Management Options

Some treatments for lung cancer can also cause pain. Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy can cause sensations that range from sharp pain to a “pins and needles” tingling. Here are a few things you can do to manage the pain, depending on where it is in the body and what’s causing it.

A sharp type of pain can occur when cancer touches on the bones or chest wall. “If someone is not moving at all, the pain might be mild,” says Toby Campbell, MD, oncologist and chief of palliative care medicine at UW Health in Madison, Wisconsin. “But with even a little bit of movement, the pain can be much more severe.”

Then there’s the sensation of tingling pain, “or what’s called ‘painful numbness,’” says Dr. Campbell. Your feet may hurt, for instance, even though they’re numb and you can’t feel them.

• Postoperative pain after lung cancer surgery
• Mouth sores from radiation
• Nerve pain or neuropathy with pins and needles from chemotherapy

Pain from cancer treatment usually lasts for just a few days or weeks and then improves, but sometimes it can be more constant.

Medications

One of the first medications you might take for pain is an over-the-counter pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol). For more moderate to severe pain, your physician may prescribe an anti-inflammatory drug or a stronger pain medication, such as an opioid like morphine, oxycodone (OxyContin, Roxicodone, others), hydromorphone (Dilaudid), or fentanyl (Actiq, Duragesic, others).

“Some medications act quickly to relieve pain, while others are long-acting and help provide continuous pain control,” Dr. Nakagawa says.

A palliative care doctor can work with you to control lung cancer pain.

Radiation Therapy

Nerve Blocks

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy teaches you how to move in ways that cause less pain. Your physical therapist can also prescribe assistive devices like a walker to relieve pressure on bones or other painful areas.

Acupuncture

It may be more helpful for someone with mild pain, as opposed to someone with moderate to severe pain, says Campbell.

Relaxation Techniques

• Lung cancer may cause pain when it presses on nerves, bones, and other structures in the chest and other parts of the body.
• Chemotherapy drugs and other lung cancer treatments can help shrink the cancer, reducing pain.
• Pain management options for lung cancer include medications, radiation therapy, nerve blocks, physical therapy, acupuncture, and relaxation techniques.