Treatment-related Pain
Treatments for breast cancer can cause side effects that are uncomfortable or even painful. But don't let fear about the possibility of pain keep you from getting the treatments you need. Talk with your medical team about any pain you might experience as the result of a specific treatment. Together you can put a plan in place for relieving it.
Breastcancer.org's section on Treatment Side Effects offers information about managing the pain and discomfort that can be associated with treatments for breast cancer. You can access that information for each treatment type by following the links below.
Surgery-related Pain
- armpit discomfort
- blood clots and phlebitis
- chest pain
- infection
- lymphedema
- muscle pain (myalgia)
- neuropathy
- phantom breast pain
- scar tissue formation
- skin sensitivity
Radiation Therapy Pain
- armpit discomfort
- chest pain
- cracked, dry skin
- infection
- lymphedema
- mouth and throat sores (mucositis)
- muscle pain (myalgia)
- neuropathy
- rash
- scar tissue formation
- skin sensitivity
Chemotherapy-related Pain
- abdominal pain
- blood clots and phlebitis
- bone and joint pain
- cold and flu symptoms
- cracked, dry skin
- fever
- hand-foot syndrome (HFS), also called palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia (PPE)
- headaches
- infection
- injection site reaction
- lymphedema (as a result of some of the steroids that may be given as part of a chemotherapy regimen)
- menopause and menopausal symptoms
- mouth and throat sores (mucositis)
- muscle pain (myalgia)
- neuropathy
- rash
- skin sensitivity
- sore throat
Hormonal Therapy-related Pain
- abdominal pain
- back pain
- blood clots and phlebitis
- bone and joint pain
- cold and flu symptoms
- endometriosis
- fever
- headaches
- infection
- leg cramps
- menopause and menopausal symptoms
- muscle pain (myalgia)
- neuropathy
- rash
- sore throat
Pain From Some Targeted Therapies
- abdominal pain
- blood clots and phlebitis
- cold and flu symptoms
- hand-foot syndrome (HFS), also called palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia (PPE)
- headaches
- infection
- mouth and throat sores (mucositis)
- muscle pain (myalgia)
- neuropathy
- rash
- sore throat
Shingles
People with all types of cancer have a higher-than-average risk of developing a viral infection called shingles, which causes a painful blistering rash. Usually it breaks out on the chest and back, although it can affect any part of the body. Shingles results from the reactivation of the virus that causes chicken pox (the varicella zoster virus). Once you've had chicken pox, the virus can lie dormant for many years in the nerve tissue near the brain and spinal cord. Cancer and its treatments often stress the body and weaken the immune system, which can lead to shingles.
Shingles can be treated with anti-viral medications taken by mouth, such as Valtrex (chemical name: valacyclovir), Zovirax (chemical name: acyclovir), and Famvir (chemical name: famcyclovir). These work best when taken within 72 hours of the rash's appearance. Shingles-related pain can be treated with many of the pain medications described in this section, such as narcotic analgesics (also known as opioids), antidepressants, anti-seizure medications, and topical anesthetic creams.
