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Breast cancer patients often struggle with persistent pain long after their treatments are completed, according to new research published in the latest Journal of the American Medical Association.
Nearly half of patients surveyed said they had lingering pain two to three years after their cancer treatment, according to the study by Danish researchers. The pain can be severe to mild, and for some women it doesn't simply come and go -- it endures. Of the 13 percent of women who reported severe pain, 77 percent said they experienced it every day.
The study, which examined chronic pain in 3,754 women ages 18 to 70, found women younger than 40 were more likely to suffer from it. Of women who had breast-conserving surgery, the highest risk of pain was in young women 18 to 39 -- much higher than those in their 60s.
The pain was due to surgery and subsequent nerve damage, as well as chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Women felt pain in their breasts, but also under their arms and on the sides of their body.
The issue demands more attention, according to an accompanying editorial, from doctors from the Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla. ...
Some people are starting to take notice. My colleague Jill Rosen explored the arduous journey breast cancer survivors face after treatment, from fatigue and depression to cardiac issues and joint pain. While a medical movement is underway to confront the hardships that women face, being a survivor can be difficult.
As breast cancer survivor Ellen Currotto (pictured right) says in the story: "I don't think it ever really is done. Survivorship is still a challenge."
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