Intractable pain with breast cancer.

This study examines retrospectively the cause, clinical features, natural history and results of treatment of intractable pain associated with breast cancer in 210 patients. The three chief types of pain were that due to skeletal metastases or brachial plexus neuropathy and pain of psychogenic origin. Onset at the time of cancer diagnosis characterized the psychogenic pain, whereas pain from metastases first occurred after a median latency of 3.7 years. Treatment was custom-tailored to the specific patient and pain problem, with several factors taken into account. The onset of intractable pain due to metastatic disease indicated a short survival (median, 9 months).