Cervical Cancer - Treatment did not work; any alternatives suggested

	Asked by leens (Male ) on Sun 20, Apr 2008 11:39pm :
	Can you give us any advise as my friend is now suffering from cervical cancer and she is in pain as it already spread on her bones. Is there anything we can do and is there anything she can eat to at least free her from pain? Appreciate your help. No treatment worked for her. Thank you.
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	Answer by Dr Bobby V, MD (oncologist) on Mon 21, Apr 2008 02:57am: Hi, I am sorry to hear about the bony pain your friend is experiencing. There are no diets or foods/supplements that she can eat to lessen her pain. But you can help her by providing appropriate food to lessen side effects of pain medications. She may need strong pain killers, including morphine-like drugs, and these may cause nausea and vomiting. You can provide suitably nourishing low-oil palatable food that she can eat in small portions. She has advanced stage 4 cervical cancer, so the goal of therapy is palliative (ie to control her symptoms and keep her comfortable, and not necessarily to prolong survival) and not curative. Bony pain should initially be treated as per the World Health Organizations' "Three step analgesia ladder" which will be advised by the treating team, including the pain relief specialist. This form of therapy uses progressively more potent medications (including narcotic drugs) as one moves up from Step 1 to 3 and finally to 3. The drugs and dosages are carefully titrated to provide effective pain relief. Bone lesions also benefit from other drugs. These include a family of drugs called bisphosphonates. A few centers also use "bone seeking isotopes" for treatment of bony pain. Radiotherapy is also effective in treatment of cancer bone pain. Calcium supplements are often administered as well. Thank you for using our service.  If you are satisfied with the answer or if you want a detailed answer for your question, please make a donation and request for further clarifications.  Our oncologists will provide an elaborate answer for your clarification.   Please make a donation by clicking the button below. You may donate using funds from your PayPal account or Credit Card. Please rate my answer (select the stars below, no need to log in.)
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