Persistent, Breakthrough, and Acute Pain

Breast cancer can cause three general types of pain:

1. Persistent (chronic)
2. Breakthrough
3. Acute

You may have one or more type of pain, at the same or different times.

Whichever type you have, it may arise either directly from the cancer or from non-cancer sources. Here are some important points to remember about each type of pain:

Persistent pain

• It's ongoing, background pain. It can range from mild to severe: It may feel like a highly uncomfortable ache or grinding agony.
• Persistent pain is usually treated with medication you take around-the-clock. Alternative and complementary methods may also help.
• Because persistent pain lasts day after day, it can steal the quality of your life and leave you feeling weak and dependent on others.
• Persistent pain may interfere with your ability to feel interest in anything other than your condition. This may isolate you from friends, places you love, and the more pleasant aspects of your normal life.
• There are effective treatments for most persistent pain. If your treatment is not working, talk with your doctor or a pain specialist.
• Many people avoid the cancer treatments they need because they are in persistent pain. Make sure you get the relief you need to continue your treatments.

Breakthrough pain

• Two-thirds of people with persistent pain also have breakthrough pain, which is usually related to what is causing the persistent pain.
• Breakthrough pain is a sudden worsening of the persistent pain for brief periods (on average, 30 minutes).
• The pain "breaks through" the relief provided by long-acting medications and becomes intense.
• Breakthrough pain caused by your body's movements is called incident or triggered pain. Breakthrough pain caused by a non-specific source is called spontaneous pain.
• Breakthrough pain is treatable. But medications must act quickly and then disappear from the system rapidly to avoid increasing side effects.
• You can reduce breakthrough pain by changing body position, preventing coughs and constipation, and effectively controlling any persistent pain.
• You can time your medication and complementary pain management techniques to deal with predictable breakthrough pain. For example, if you know you're likely to have breakthrough pain when you do certain activities, you can plan to take treatment ahead of time.

Acute pain

• It's brief, intense, and arises suddenly, limiting your activities almost immediately.
• It is not an increase of persistent pain.
• Acute pain is usually associated with injury or a medical intervention (for example, surgery) and usually goes away when the body heals.
• Medication is given as needed, for a short period.
• Acute pain scares you—then you deal with it and it's over.