Pain

Pain is a personal experience that can be different for everyone. Your health care team can determine what type of pain you are having and what treatment options are best. Learn more about pain that may be caused by cancer and cancer treatment, and what types of medications and treatments might help.

Leg cramps or spasms are painful tightenings of the muscles in the leg, ankle, or foot. Cancer and its treatment may cause problems that lead to patients having leg and other types of muscle cramps. But other conditions and medicines, not related to cancer, can also cause leg cramps.

Peripheral neuropathy has many causes, including chemo or other cancer treatments. Learn more about peripheral neuropathy and how to deal with it here.

After having breast cancer surgery, some women have problems with nerve (neuropathic) pain in the chest wall, armpit, and/or arm that doesn’t go away over time. This is called post-mastectomy pain syndrome (PMPS) because it was first noticed in women who had mastectomies, but it can also happen after other types of breast-conserving surgery (such as a lumpectomy).

Headaches can be a side effect of different cancer treatments, including chemotherapy (chemo). Other treatments also can cause them. Learn what symptoms to watch out for, and when to seek help. 

If you have headaches, but do not have cancer or are not getting cancer treatment, please talk to your doctor about possible causes and how to manage your headaches.