What are the treatment options for bone pain due to cancer?
• A: Treatment objectives for pain caused by bone metastases include pain relief, increase in bone strength to reduce the risk of fractures and the prevention of additional bone complications such as hypercalcemia, hypocalcemia and spinal cord compression. Treatment options for cancer related bone pain include pain medications, bisphosphonates, radiation, chemotherapy, radiopharmaceuticals and/or surgery. Pain Medication: Pain medication is prescribed based on the level of pain. Patients should keep a journal and use a pain scale to help describe the location and levels of pain. Non-opioids such as aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen may be helpful to patients experiencing mild to moderate pain. If the bone pain is moderate to severe, the doctor may prescribe opioids such as morphine, oxycodone, methadone or fentanyl in addition to the non-opioids. Bisphosphonates: Drugs used to treat osteoporosis and the bone pains caused by many types of cancer are called bisphosphonates. By acting o
