Abdominal Pain

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I am dealing with UTUC right now. Have had a radical nephrectomy, immunotherapy, radtation therapy, chemotherapy and combinations. It's been a long road so far and not much progress. In fact, latest scans show growth of tumors. 

I feel a lot of abdominal pain. Doc says that the tumor is pinching a nerve and causing the pain. She put me on opioids to deal with it (Amoxycodone 4x/day). I don't like to take these as I don;t want to get habituated to them. 

I don't know what kind of therapy we can do next but she suggested it might be ADC. Need to wait for some test results. 

What else can I use to deal with this constant pain? It's also affecting my sleep. Getting less than 5 hours a night for the past month. 

Any guidance appreciated. 

  • Hi 

    My name is Debra and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists on the Macmillan Support Line. Welcome to the online community and thanks for posting your question.

    I’m sorry to hear that you’re struggling with treatment for your UTUC a rare type of urological cancer, which can make finding information or getting help and support more difficult.  

    Here at Macmillan, we don’t have access to any NHS/medical records, but from what you say in your message it sounds like your cancer has spread, despite the range of treatment you’ve had so far. An ADC or Antibody Drug Conjugate, uses a monoclonal antibody (MAB) to target cancer cells with specific markers and then delivers a drug into the cell, killing it from the inside. However, you need to have the specific markers required for the treatment to be effective, which may be the test results you’re waiting for?

    With regards to your pain, you’re right that Oxycodone can be addictive although not usually when taken for pain relief, it’s more common when taken over a prolonged period of time after the pain has resolved. However, if you’re still unsure about taking it, please speak to your doctor about your concerns as they may be able to reassure you or provide an alternative. You might find our information on different types of pain, pain treatments and keeping a pain diary helpful.

    You may also want to consider non-drug treatments or alternative therapies. These can be helpful when pain is disturbing your sleep, especially as good quality sleep is important for both our physical and mental wellbeing.

    I hope this has been helpful, but please don’t hesitate to get back in touch if you need any further information or support.

    Best wishes

    Debra

    (Cancer Information Nurse Specialist)

    You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email or use webchat.

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