Pain is one of the most wellknown
— and most debilitating
— side effects of cancer
and cancer treatment. Cancer
pain can greatly reduce patients
quality of life, which is
why pain management is a top
focus of cancer treatment
teams. Unfortunately, existing
treatment protocol isnt always
adequate to relieve cancer
pain.
When cancer pain management
falls short, some patients
look to cannabis. If youre curious
about cannabis for cancer
pain management, heres
what you need to know.
Pain is so common in cancer
patients that its considered a
warning sign of cancer. Cancer
causes pain when a tumor
presses on bones, nerves, or
organs, or when cancer
spreads to bone. Cancer treatment
can also cause pain. Patients
may experience pain at
their surgical site, develop
neuropathic pain as a result of
chemotherapy, have sensitive
skin following radiation therapy,
or even experience phantom
pain after losing a breast
or limb.
Controlling cancer pain is critical
for patients quality of
life. While mild pain may be
controlled with over-thecounter
medications like acetaminophen
and NSAIDs, opioids
are needed for more severe
cancer pain. However,
some patients are wary of opioids
due to stigma while others
dislike the side effects,