Having cancer does not always mean having pain. But if you do have pain, you can work with your health care team to make sure a pain control plan is part of your care. There are many different kinds of medicines, different ways to take the medicines, and non-drug methods that can help to treat and control 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.
Even severe cancer pain can be treated. How you report and describe pain helps your health care team know what may work best to relieve it. Learn how to track your symptoms, talk to your health care team, and find resources to help manage your pain.
Cancer and its treatment may cause problems that lead to patients having leg and other types of muscle cramps. Leg cramps or spasms are painful tightenings of the muscles in the leg, ankle, or foot. But it's important to know that other non-cancer related conditions and medicines can also cause problems that might cause leg cramps.
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).