Pain is common in patients with cancer, and may be due to the cancer itself, the cancer treatment, or a co-existent condition (e.g. osteoarthritis, osteoporosis). The severity of the pain is not necessarily an indication of the severity of the underlying condition. In other words, the development of breakthrough pain, or the worsening of breakthrough pain, does not necessarily indicate that the cancer has worsened (or that the cancer treatment has not worked).

If you do develop breakthrough pain, or your breakthrough pain gets worse, then you need to see the doctor of nurse who is dealing with your cancer pain as soon as possible (see Why it is important to treat pain).

“The severity of the pain is not necessarily an indication of the severity of the underlying condition”