Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about pain answered by experts in the field.

Pain Management for Pets with Cancer
Question My dog was just diagnosed with primary bone cancer (yesterday in fact). She is already 3 legged so amputation is not an option and the vet said that the best we could is to just keep her comfortable until we feel it is time to put her out of her pain. Could you address pain management options and any suggestions as to how/ when to make

Pain Management during Treatment
Question I am getting chemo & radiation. Should I tough it out with the pain during treatment? I'm afraid to start taking pain killers. Answer Alexander Lin, MD, Radiation Oncologist at Penn Medicine, responds: You should not "tough it out." There are many forms of therapy we can employ during therapy to minimize pain. By minimizing pain,

Pain relief for bone metastasis from prostate cancer
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," My father is 65 years old and is suffering severe shoulder pain from metastatic prostate cancer. Is there something we can do for his pain? Erin McMenamin, MSN, CRNP, AOCN, Pain Medicine Nurse Practitioner and Program Manager at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, responds:He should

Neuropathic Pain After Chemotherapy
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," I am a male 36 years old I have ended my CHOP chemotherapy for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. About two weeks after my chemotherapy ended and continuing to date, I have been suffering severe leg pain in both legs. The pain is from my upper thighs to my feet. It is a consistent deep bone pain with occasional sharp stabbing

Dealing with Neuropathic Pain
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," My husband has peripheral neuropathy from cisplatin. What medications are recommended to treat this pain? It keeps him up at night. Are there specialists for this type of pain? Erin McMenamin, MSN, CRNP, AOCN, Pain Medicine Nurse Practitioner and Program Manager at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of