For Many Breast Cancer Survivors, Pain Persists

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that nearly half of breast cancer survivors report ongoing pain after treatment.

Researchers reviewed questionnaires filled out by 3,253 women who had undergone breast cancer treatment in Denmark between 2005 and 2006. The women were asked:

• Whether they have pain
• In what areas of the body they experience it
• How bad the pain is
• How often they experience it

Nearly Half of Breast Cancer Survivors Experience Pain

The research participants had undergone breast-conserving surgery or surgery to remove the breast 13 to 41 months prior to taking the survey. Additional possible treatments included radiation, chemotherapy, and removal of lymph nodes.

In all, 47 percent of the women surveyed reported pain in one or more areas of the body. Of those, 52 percent reported severe or moderate pain.

Pain was reported in the breast area, armpit, arm, and side of the body. Among those with severe pain, 77 percent said that they had it daily. For those who reported their pain as light, 36 percent had it every day.

Women younger than 40 were more than three times as likely to have chronic pain as older women. Research volunteers who had radiation therapy were more likely to report pain than those who had chemotherapy.

How to Manage Pain

Cancer pain can range from mild to severe. But it can almost always be relieved. Your medical team can work with you to develop a pain control plan designed for you and your body.

Here are some things you can do to get the best results from your plan:

• Make a list of medicines you take and bring the list to each doctor's visit. If you see more than one doctor, make sure your doctor reviews the list before changing or prescribing medicine.
• Never take someone else's medicine. What helped a friend or family member may not help you.
• Don't wait for pain to get worse. It's harder to control pain after it begins and may take longer to go away.
• Take your pain medicine on schedule to keep pain from starting or getting worse. This is one of the best ways to stay on top of your pain.
• Use a chart to keep track of how well your medicine is working. Describe the amount of pain you feel and take the chart with you when you visit your doctor. You can find a Pain Control Record chart at the Web site for the National Cancer Institute. See the link under Online Resources below.
• Ask your doctor to change your pain control plan if it isn't working.

Always consult your physician for more information.