What is abdominal pain and abdominal cramping?
What is their relationship to cancer and chemotherapy treatments? The abdomen is the part of the body located between the chest and the pelvis. Most people refer to it loosely at the stomach (although the stomach is an organ within the abdomen). Pain is a personal experience of discomfort. Abdominal pain can be associated with a variety of conditions both within and outside or the abdomen. Abdominal or lower abdominal pain can be a dull ache, cramping, or sharp pain. Dull aches and cramping are not uncommonly associated with some chemotherapy drugs. Sharp pain that does not resolve in a few minutes may be an indicator of a more serious problem. Cancer treatment-induced abdominal pain, cramping and flatulence (gas): • Chemotherapy can cause both increased (rapid) and decreased (slow) motility of the intestines. In other words, the normal wave-like action that moves stool through the bowel may be faster or slower than usual. • Rapid motility may cause stool to travel faster and be less f
