Sign or Symptom
breakthrough pain Audio
break·through pain [ brayk-throo payn ]
Subclass of:
Esthesia; Pain
Definitions related to breakthrough pain:
  • A episode of severe pain that breaks through (i.e., temporarily exacerbates) a period of persistent pain.
    Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO)
    The Human Phenotype Ontology Project, 2025
  • Acute pain that comes on rapidly despite the use of pain medication.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • Intense increases in pain that occur with rapid onset even when pain-control medication is being used. Breakthrough pain can occur spontaneously or in relation to a specific activity.
    NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Many people with chronic cancer-related pain experience intermittent flares of pain that can occur even though a person is taking analgesic medications on a fixed schedule for pain control. These severe flares of pain are called breakthrough pain because the pain "breaks through" the regular pain medication.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.