Ultrasound may help relieve cancer bone pain

One of the most intense types of pain is often said to be bone pain. Some cancers, unfortunately, do progress to the bone and the bone pain is very difficult to treat. Medications aren’t very effective against it and although radiation can be helpful, usually it’s too hard on the patient and the radiation can cause other problems too.

While looking for non-invasive ways to treat the pain, researchers are looking at ways to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasounds. The researchers hope to use the MRI to see where the pain is and then the ultrasound to target the tissue and hit it with ulstrasound waves. Low-level heat will then destroy the tissue, eliminating or at least reducing the severe pain.

This type of treatment is already being used to treat uterine fibroids.

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Tags: cancer blog, cancer pain, radiation, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, MRI