Pain associated with prostate cancer is typically dependent on the stage of your cancer. While early-stage prostate cancer is not usually painful, advanced prostate cancer can often cause pain throughout the body or within specific sites where the cancer has spread.
In advanced prostate cancer stages, the cancer can spread to the bones – usually in the spine or pelvis – and subsequently cause severe pain and increased pressure on your body. While managing the pain on top of a diagnosis is a lot to handle, there are many known treatments available to help with any discomfort or pain. From medications to therapies, the following options are pathways your care team may recommend to help manage your pain.
How to relieve localized pain
If you have “confined pain,” or pain that is in just one area of your body, you might be offered site-specific pain relief options below.
Nerve block
One method to alleviate local pain is with a nerve block. For a nerve block, an analgesic would be injected directly into nerves found at a site of pain within the body. This is especially appropriate if your cancer is pressing on a nerve and causing neuropathic pain.
Radiofrequency ablation
Some patients have found pain relief with radiofrequency ablation, which is a procedure where a needle is guided to a tumor site with ultrasound or CT imaging, and high heat is delivered to the pain site that can lessen pain “messages” from the pain site.
External beam radiotherapy
Radiation can also be used to help with pain management of a specific pain site. In external beam radiotherapy, high-energy radiation is targeted at the area with precision and may help shrink a problem area causing excess pain.
How to relieve general pain
If you have generalized mild pain, meaning pain that is not confined to a specific site in the body, you may want to speak to your medical team about acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Starting a regime of non-medicinal pain relief, such as medical massage, acupuncture, ice therapy, and/or heat therapy might be appropriate in cases of mild pain (but, as always, speak with your doctors to ensure safety before doing so).
In the case of severe pain, you may need stronger pain medications such as oxycodone that can only usually be used for shorter time periods, but these may help you get through periods of more intense pain during your prostate cancer treatment journey.
How to relieve bone pain
If you have known bone involvement and are experiencing pain with bone thinning or loss, you might be prescribed bisphosphonates, which are drugs that can help reduce bone pain and fight against bone loss. They are sometimes prescribed to those with advanced prostate cancer. Read more about bone health and prostate cancer here.
Pain should not be something you have to consistently deal with while on your prostate cancer treatment journey – there are many ways to treat generalized and/or confined pain and ensure your discomfort is as minimal or transient as possible.
If you have additional questions about pain management or you’d like to speak with someone, you can connect with an Outcomes4Me oncology nurse practitioner at no charge through the Outcomes4Me app, using the “Ask Outcomes4Me” button.
