Answer:

Patients with late-stage cancer often experience prolonged pain, affecting both physical and mental well-being. Pain manifests in various forms and stems from different causes, including somatic pain, visceral pain, and neuropathic pain. Several methods can help patients manage their pain:

Medications are commonly used for pain relief, administered orally, via injection, intravenous drip, or transdermal patches. Frequently prescribed pain relievers include anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and strong analgesics (opioids).

Doctors may also prescribe supportive medications to enhance pain relief, such as anti-inflammatories, sedatives, anticonvulsants, muscle relaxants, or drugs that slow bone destruction. For patients experiencing pain due to cancer metastasized to the bone, doctors might use radioactive substances to treat the pain internally.

Dr. Sy consults a patient. Illustration: Tam Anh General Hospital

Surgery can help alleviate pain symptoms for patients. Doctors may remove part of the tumor from affected areas, thereby reducing pressure on organs or nerves. This helps soothe pain and improves the body's functional capacity.

Doctors can also perform minor procedures to relieve internal obstructions. These include placing drainage tubes, performing nerve blocks, or creating diversions for waste removal from the body, such as creating an artificial anus (colostomy), nephrostomy (opening the kidney to the skin), or cystostomy (opening the bladder to the skin). These procedures enhance patient comfort during palliative care.

Radiation therapy helps shrink tumors, reduce pain, limit bleeding, and improve uncomfortable symptoms, especially when cancer cells spread to the bones or cause severe ulcers and intense pain. For pain management, doctors typically use low-dose, short-course treatment regimens.

Other methods also contribute to pain reduction for late-stage cancer patients, including rehabilitation exercises, meditation, massage, acupuncture, psychological support, and social support. You can bring your grandfather to the hospital for palliative care. The doctor will determine the appropriate pain management method based on the cause of the pain.

Dr. Nguyen Tien Sy

Oncology Department

Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City