Reduce pain for cancer patients

In order to reduce stress and worry for the family as well as reduce pain for patients, the Department of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology, Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi) has organized a unit to control pain and take care of millions. evidence of internal medicine and radioactive drugs (units that reduce pain and improve the quality of life).

A cancer patient is being examined by a doctor before taking a dose of radiotherapy for pain at the Department of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology, Bach Mai Hospital (Photo: N.Hà) To date, most facilities Medical treatment for cancer pain by internal medicine, surgery or radiotherapy. Internal medicine is easy to use, easy to buy, medical facilities can all be assigned, even families can buy drugs according to instructions on home treatment. But patients after a period of medication will be ignored.

The doctor must either increase the dose or have to replace other drugs with stronger analgesic effect. After a while, the analgesic function of these drugs will also decrease. In addition, there are birth control drugs with side effects such as addiction, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, impaired liver and kidney function, bone marrow .

An advanced treatment for pain relief has just been introduced in Vietnam in some nuclear medicine facilities. It is an analgesic treatment for patients with primary bone metastatic bone cancer or bone cancer. Instead of taking daily painkillers, just taking one dose of radioactive medicine, the sick person gets relief in pain within 3-6 months or even a year with a very strong level of pain management, depending on the type of radioactive drug used. Radioactive isotopes will find cancerous metastases on their bones to limit bone destruction and reduce cancer pain in the most effective and powerful way. Dr. Tran Dinh Ha, deputy head of the Department of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology, said that due to the long time of pain relief after the radiation treatment dose, the quality of life of patients was significantly improved.

However, in Vietnam, the use of radioactive substances has very strict regulations, so only nuclear medicine facilities can get this particular treatment course, to manage radioactive drugs and substance management. discharging patients, avoiding environmental pollution, affecting people around . Treatment of end-stage cancer by radiation, periodic patients will have to re-examine and depend on the type of radioisotopes that the family must pay from medium to high.

NGOC HA