What is arthralgia?

Immunotherapy treatments can cause inflammation in many different areas of the body, one of the areas being your muscles and joints. Arthralgia occurs when muscles or joints in the body become inflamed and, as a result, can be quite painful and sometimes swollen.

Many patients who have pre-existing joint conditions, such as arthritis or broken / sprained bones, can find that the immunotherapy treatment will worsen their symptoms and cause flare-ups.

How is arthralgia diagnosed?

We can diagnose arthralgia by completing some simple blood tests, which will identify if your inflammatory markers are raised.

If they are, it may mean your symptoms are immunotherapy induced. However, not all patients have raised inflammatory markers and can still suffer from side effects.

What treatment is available to help with arthralgia?

We recommend trialling some simple pain relief to help with joint pain swelling. Paracetamol or anti-inflammatory pain killers can be used to reduce pain.

Urgent alert

If you experience any side-effects, or notice any general changes in your health, please contact The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre Hotline (24 Hours, 7 Days a week):
0800 169 5555