Does breast cancer cause pain?
Breast pain, also called mastalgia, is not a commonTrusted Source symptom of breast cancer.
When breast pain is related to breast cancer:
it’s confined to one breast or nipple
it’s in a specific area rather than an all-over pain
there’s no variation related to the menstrual cycle
Pain when cancer has spread to other areas in the body
Metastatic breast cancer — cancer that has spread to areas beyond the breast — can cause pain, depending on where it spreads.
Examples of this include:
Bones: Bone metastasis tends to affect the ribs, spine, pelvis, and long bones in the arms and legs. Pain may come on suddenly and feel like exercise strain or arthritis. However, resting doesn’t relieve it and it keeps getting worse. Bones can become fragile and easily fractured.
Lungs: Pain in the affected lung may be accompanied by shortness of breath and other breathing problems.
Liver: Liver metastasis can cause pain under the ribs, midsection, or near the right shoulder. Other symptoms include yellowing of the skin (jaundice) and dark urine.
Brain: Head pain is one sign of brain metastasis. It can also affect vision, speech, and memory.
Pain due to breast cancer treatments
Pain can sometimes be a side effect of breast cancer treatments such as:
surgery
radiation therapy
chemotherapy
hormonal and targeted therapies
immunotherapy
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