Many patients will experience varying degrees of pain during the course of their treatment. Their pain may be caused by the disease itself, from complications caused by a weakened immune system, or from the side effects of medication. A successful pain management plan is a crucial part of treatment and must be individualized for each patient.

Our Approach
Our approach is to address any symptoms or pain before they become problematic. The clinical care team works with the patient to identify any pain they may be feeling, determine its' cause and location, and find the best method to relieve that pain. Patients' responses to pain management therapies and the interactions of drug therapies are continually monitored to help limit side effects.

Why do people with cancer experience pain during treatment?
Patients may experience pain for different reasons. The pain can be caused by the cancer itself or from the cancer treatments. For example, some of the treatments can cause neuropathies, which are interferences to the nerve. When drugs cause damage to the nerves, patients can actually lose sensation in their hands and feet. Or, they can experience painful or odd sensations in their hands and feet, like numbness and tingling. This can be quite uncomfortable so the treatment team does everything they can to lessen the pain.

How important is pain management?
Managing pain is vitally important in helping patients get through their course of therapy. If a patient is really troubled by pain, he or she may think about not continuing treatment. So, it's critical to get the pain under control in a fashion that does not interfere with the patient's lifestyle.

Some patients feel pain but may not tell anyone out of fear that they will be taken off their treatment regiment. They should not be afraid and always tell someone on their treatment team how they are feeling so we can help them. The treatment team is always looking out for other symptoms, such as a change in weight that may indicate that the patient feels pain.