Talking to Your Doctors About Pain
According to the National Cancer Institute, cancer pain can be managed effectively in up to 90% of people who have cancer or have been treated for it in the past. Still, many people do not get adequate treatment for their pain, often because they are afraid to bring it up or their doctors never do.
This section of Breastcancer.org offers some advice that may help you communicate with your doctors about pain. Remember that treatment for pain should be a part of your overall cancer treatment plan. If the doctors treating your cancer are unwilling or unable to address your pain, you can ask about working with a pain management team, which is typically made up of doctors, nurses, and other health professionals trained to understand and treat pain. This section also includes some advice about finding and working with such a team of specialists.
Visit the Keeping a Pain Diary page for information on how to keep track of your pain.
