Pain is common in patients with cancer, and may be due to the cancer itself, the cancer treatment, or a co-existent condition. The severity of the pain is not necessarily an indication of the severity of the underlying condition, and in some cases the pain may continue to be experienced even after the cancer has been successfully treated.

Pain can be well controlled in almost all cases; in many patients treatment involves simple measures such as taking painkillers, but in some patients treatment requires more complex / specialised measures. Each patient needs to be carefully assessed by a doctor / nurse, since a variety of different treatments are used in practice.

Patients normally experience two different types of pain: 1) “background pain” – this is a more-or-less persistent type of pain, which is usually controlled by taking regular painkillers; and 2) “breakthrough pain” – this is an intermittent type of pain, which usually represents a short-lasting, flare-up of the background pain.

The aim of this part of the website is to provide a source of information about breakthrough cancer pain for patients and carers. The website will be updated on a regular basis, with particular emphasis on highlighting new treatments for breakthrough cancer pain. The website will have an interactive element, and patients and carers are encouraged to submit comments about the current content, suggestions about future content, and questions for the editorial board.