Cancer Pain

If you have cancer pain, the severity and prevalence of your pain may depend on many factors, including the site (location) and stage (extent) of your disease, and your pain threshold (or tolerance for pain). You may experience pain from the cancer itself, or as a side effect of cancer treatment.

Cancer pain that lasts a few days or longer may result from:

• The tumor causing pressure on tissues, bones, nerves or organs
• Poor blood circulation because the cancer has blocked blood vessels
• Blockage of an organ or tube in the body
• Metastasis – cancer cells that have spread to other sites in the body
• Infection or inflammation
• Side effects from surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or immunotherapy
• Stiffness from inactivity
• Psychological responses to illness, such as tension, depression or anxiety