Managing Side Effects & Pain

Many side effects of breast cancer treatment are discussed in the section on side effects of chemotherapy.  One issue of concern to patients being treated for metastatic or advanced breast cancer is pain.
 

Pain
Many cancer patients fear pain more than any other possible consequence of having cancer.  Patients experience different kinds and levels of pain.  Pain can be caused by the treatment for breast cancer, or by the cancer itself.  It can be short term or chronic, acute or low level but persistent. It can affect many different parts of the body. Individuals vary enormously in their perception of pain and their ability to tolerate it.

One thing is clear: Pain is not inevitable.  It is not something that you should expect or bear in silence. Specialists who treat pain strongly believe that no patient should suffer from pain.  Pain can sometimes be prevented and it can always be addressed and treated.  Most cancer treatment facilities now have pain centers or specialists dedicated to assuring that their patients do not suffer unnecessarily.

If you are concerned about pain, especially if you have been diagnosed with metastatic disease, take steps to help yourself avoid or minimize pain:

• Talk to your treatment team – not just your doctor but the nurses as well.  Tell them your concerns and when and if you feel pain.  Don't be reluctant to speak up, and to describe what you are experiencing.  If your needs change regarding pain control, let your treatment team know right away. You might consider keeping a diary to inform your doctors when you have pain and at what level.
• Take your medications as prescribed.  Very effective medications are available today to control pain, but they don't work if you don't take them. Some patients fear becoming addicted to pain medications, but very few do if they take their medication as indicated. 
• Don't let pain interfere with your treatment.  Some patients discontinue effective treatments when they experience pain related to their therapy.  Talk to your treatment team if you are considering stopping your therapy and let them work with you to manage your pain.
• Consider taking advantage of complementary medicine techniques that help reduce stress and often lessen pain.  These techniques do not treat your cancer, but they can be very effective in reducing the mental and physical effects of your cancer and its treatment.  Yoga, mindful meditation, acupuncture, music therapy and hypnosis have all been shown to help reduce pain from cancer.

Next: End-of-Life Making Decisions.