Airing Pain 110: Living with Cancer Pain

Living with a diagnosis, what palliative care entails, and non-pharmacological treatments

This edition is funded by the Agnes Hunter Trust.

According to Cancer Research UK, 50% of all people in England and Wales diagnosed with cancer survive their disease for ten years or more. This edition of Airing Pain looks at what pain management entails for the other 50%; those that live with terminal cancer.

Kate Grafton, Lecturer and Professional Lead for Physiotherapy at Leeds Beckett University, speaks to Paul about her breast cancer diagnosis, her experiences with different treatments, the psychology of mindfulness, and finding the right support group.

Paul then heads to St Gemma’s teaching hospice at the University of Leeds to speak to Professor of Palliative Medicine Mike Bennett who explains what palliative care entails as well as the importance of balancing treatment and quality of life.

Back at Leeds Beckett we hear from the Director of the Centre for Pain Research Mark Johnson, who has a particular interest in non-pharmacological treatments like TENS machines, acupuncture, and laser therapy. Professor Johnson talks Paul about the mechanisms of these treatments and their various limitations and strengths.

Issues covered in this programme include: Analgesia, cancer, carers, chemotherapy, drugs, educating healthcare professionals, electrophysical agents, bereavement, hospice, medication, metastases, mindfulness, opioid side effects, opioid treatment, palliative care, radiotherapy, support group, TENS: transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, terminal cancer and worry.

Contributors:

• Professor Mike Bennett, St Gemma’s Professor of Palliative Medicine, University of Leeds
• Professor Kate Grafton, Principal Lecturer and Professional Lead for Physiotherapy, Leeds Beckett University
• Professor Mark Johnson, Professor of Pain and Analgesia and Director of the Centre for Pain Research, Leeds Beckett University.

More information:

• Cancer Research UK: cancerresearchuk.org/
• Macmillan Cancer Support: macmillan.org.uk/
• Shine Cancer Support: shinecancersupport.org/.