About 15% of cancer patients have pain that is due to some of the treatments.
(ISTOCKPHOTO)
During treatment, bone pain can be terrible. Certain chemo medications, like paclitaxel, can prompt muscle aches and joint pain, says Banu K. Arun, MD, an associate professor in the department of breast medical oncology and co-medical director of clinical cancer genetics at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. But the pain usually goes away after chemo is finished. Those who receive longer-term therapies, such as estrogen-blocking tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor like Arimidex, may experience pain for longer.
“After my first chemo, my bone pain was so severe, it felt like I had been hit by three Mack trucks,” Alice Crisci says. “The unfortunate thing is that no one knows how you’ll react to chemo, so they can only make adjustments after you’ve had your first treatment. The second round was a lot easier, and I started taking Motrin for bone pain before it even started.”
Just six months ago, before her stage IIIb inflammatory breast cancer spread to her bones and became more painful, Elizabeth Miller, 49, a senior vice president of design for a home-furnishings company in New York City, was appalled at the thought of taking pain medication. “Now I find myself waiting for the magic pain-medication alarm song that my son programmed into my cell phone so I can work and live without my breast cancer pain stopping me,” she says.
Bone loss is also a concern for breast cancer survivors. If you’re premenopausal and go through breast cancer treatment, you’ll experience a 7% bone loss, some experts say. The good news is that women can do something about bone loss—from weight-bearing exercise to taking vitamins like calcium and vitamin D, Dr. Litton says.
