Cancer Pain — Explore The Key Warning Sign that Could Signal Cancers
Cancer pain has been a significant clinical problem worldwide. Cancer pain can arise due to the disease condition itself or may be because of the associated chemotherapy, surgery, and more. There is an array of drugs used for the management of cancer pain. Opioids are a type of drugs that is one of the most effective pharmaceuticals used in the treatment of cancer pain.
Moreover, many new studies have recently revealed that anti-cancer drugs can be a potential new way to treat chronic pain. Researchers have identified the presence of a molecule in the nervous system that intensifies sensitivity to pain. By targeting this molecule, the already existing anti-cancer drugs can possibly be used to relief pain.
Twitching in the body can be a sign:
Cancer pain is indeed a complex biologic phenomenon that can be caused by numerous symptoms. The most common one is a cancerous tumor that can grow and spread to other parts of the body where the nerves are centered, thereby can lead to muscle twitches, jerking or spasms. A brain tumor can cause problems in speech, concentration, decision making, thinking speed functions, and problem solving abilities. It can annoy the neurons in the brain, which in turn, can cause shallow breathing and loss of consciousness.
In addition, cancer of the prostate, lung, and breast cancer are known to easily spread to the tissue inside the spinal cord. In case the spinal cord resulted to get affected, difficulties may appear in the muscles, such as collapsing of the muscular tissues in the leg, foot & ankle that may get worse and lead to paralysis. Patients can experience back pain at the beginning that gets worse when lying down or straining, and may extend to the hips or legs. Few more factors such as loss of appetite, extreme fatigue, fever that doesn’t go away, cough that doesn’t go away, trouble in swallowing, blood in the urine, blood in the stool, night sweats, lump in the neck, swollen lymph nodes, changes in the skin, and severe weight loss can be signs to cancer. Such warning sign related to cancer should not be ignored.
Role of neuromodulation in cancer pain:
The field of neuromodulation is continuously evolving and showing significant advancement in the therapeutic benefit of neuromodulation procedures. Neuromodulation is a type of medical treatment of cancer pain. Electrical neuromodulation uses various chemicals along with electrical pulses directly on or several parts of the central nervous system such as nerves, nerve clusters, and others to reduce or relieve pain. Methodologies such as burst stimulation and dorsal root ganglion are paving way for better clinical outcomes.
Current market scenario:
According to a report published by Allied Market Research, the global cancer pain market size is projected to reach $10.3 billion with a considerable CAGR from 2021 to 2030. The North America is currently dominating the market with the highest market share, owing to increase in number of cancer patients, technological advancements in healthcare sector, options for premiere chemotherapy treatment, and availability of pain therapeutics. The Asia-Pacific region, at the same time, is estimated to witness the fastest growth rate. This is attributed to rise in geriatric population, increase in healthcare expenditure, surge in awareness related to early screening of cancer, and increase in investments in R&D activities by various healthcare companies in developing nations.
COVID-19 impact on the market:
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic led to have a negative impact on the growth of the global cancer pain market. The implementation of the global lockdown led to temporary closure of manufacturing facilities for cancer pain drugs, especially in the initial period. Cancellation in production schedules created financial problems for companies with heavy debts. Shortage of skilled labor force was a major challenge. Ban in import & export activities caused disruptions in the supply chain, which is why, supplying raw materials on time became difficult. Demand for cancer pain drugs reduced significantly due to delayed shipments. Also, in order to follow the social distancing norms, patient visits were considerably declined during the pandemic. These factors altogether hampered the growth of the market to some extent. nevertheless, the market is steadily recovering and is expected to get back on track soon.
Author’s Bio — Suchita Gupta is an explorer, musician and content writer. While pursuing MBA, she found that nothing satisfies her more than writing on miscellaneous domains. She is a writer by day, and a reader by night. Besides, she can be found entertaining her audience on social media platforms. Find her on LinkedIn & Instagram.
