The Complete Guide to Relieving Cancer Pain and Suffering

Most cancer patients fear unremitting pain more than the prospect of an untimely death, and are surprised to learn that most of the pain and related symptoms of cancer can be successfully addressed by an informed patient working with a determined health care team. This book helps you be that informed patient. Thoroughly revising their widely praised 1994 book, You Don't Have to Suffer, Dr. Richard B. Patt and Susan Lang offer a much-needed handbook for patients and caregivers on all aspects of cancer pain. The authors identify the reasons why patients are so often under-medicated--from patients who feel the need to tough it out to doctors buried in time-consuming paperwork--and argue that properly medicated patients are better able to resume active lives and marshal strength to fight their disease, while those in chronic pain not only suffer, but also jeopardize their recovery. They demonstrate methods that can be used to cope with the practical aspects of dealing with cancer suffering (like talking to your doctor and loved ones), and describe all of the pain-relieving options available in the modern medical arsenal--from drugs and high-tech medical procedures to psychological and cognitive techniques. The authors also discuss depression and other psychological components that can contribute to suffering, and explain how psychological, cognitive, and mind/body techniques can help relieve the suffering associated with cancer. The book includes detailed charts of all the pain medications presently available and it lists many available resources, from pain specialists to hospice and home care. This volume will empower cancer patients to make informed decisions about their care and will be of enormous value to the growing number of patients, family members, and health-care professionals determined to relieve needless suffering.