Cancer Living With Overview of the Different Types of Cancer Pain By Lisa Fayed Lisa Fayed is a freelance medical writer, cancer educator and patient advocate. Learn about our editorial process Lisa Fayed Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Doru Paul, MD on December 01, 2019 Doru Paul, MD, is triple board-certified in medical oncology, hematology, and internal medicine. He is an associate professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and attending physician in the Department of Hematology Oncology at the New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. Learn about our Medical Review Board Doru Paul, MD Updated on February 12, 2020 Print Cancer Overview Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment Coping FatCamera / Getty Images In This Article Table of Contents Expand Somatic Neuropathic Visceral Acute Chronic Why Location Matters View All Physical pain is an unpleasant sensory experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, according to the International Association for the Study of Pain. When it comes to cancer patients, pain may not be an early symptom (except for some cancer types that spread to the bone). Generally, cancer pain occurs when cancer has spread and started to affect other nerves and organs. When this happens, your doctor may prescribe medication to help you manage your pain. To better understand the pain you may be feeling, your doctor may ask you to first start by describing the location where you feel the pain. Most people have only heard about acute, chronic or internal pain, so it can be confusing when doctors start throwing out new names for the type of pain some patients feel. The following is an explanation of all the different types. Somatic Somatic pain is the result of activity by pain receptors in the deep tissues of the body, or on the surface. An example of deep tissue pain would be that of cancer that has spread to the bone. The site of pain cannot be pinpointed and has a dull, achy feeling. An example of surface pain is a pain at a surgical incision site. People describe this pain as being sharp and possibly have a burning sensation. Superficial and Deep Somatic Pain Overview Neuropathic Neuropathic pain is often described as a burning or tingling sensation. It is caused by injury to the nervous system. The injury can include a tumor putting pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. Chemotherapy or radiation can also cause chemical damage to the nervous system resulting in pain. Neuropathic Pain Overview Visceral Viscera are internal organs contained in a cavity of the body, like the chest, abdomen, and pelvis. So, visceral pain is pain felt in one of these areas caused the activity of pain receptors in these areas. In cancer, the activation of pain receptors can be caused by a tumor putting pressure on one or more of the organs, the stretching of the viscera, or the general invasion of cancer. This type of pain is described as having a throbbing, pressured sensation. Once the type of pain has been established, then it is categorized into either acute pain or chronic pain. Acute Acute pain refers to pain that is short-lived and the cause can be easily identified such as an activity causing such pain. Acute pain can come and go and may increase over time. Chronic Chronic pain lasts longer than three months. Physicians often have a tough time treating chronic pain as it is often hard to describe. Why Location Matters Speak to your medical team if you feel any type of pain. Usually, lower back pain is a cancer symptom often associated with ovarian cancer or colon cancer. Shoulder pain is a symptom that may be associated with lung cancer, while pain in the form of headaches can be associated with brain tumors (malignant and benign). Stomach pain is a very vague symptom because so many illnesses can cause stomach pain, and can be related to stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, and many other cancers. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Limiting processed foods and red meats can help ward off cancer risk. These recipes focus on antioxidant-rich foods to better protect you and your loved ones. Sign up and get your guide! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. International Association for the Study of Pain. IASP terminology. Updated December 14, 2017. Watson JC. Overview of pain. Merck Manual Professional Version. Updated August 2018. Zajączkowska R, Kocot-Kępska M, Leppert W, Wrzosek A, Mika J, Wordliczek J. Mechanisms of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(6):1451. doi:10.3390/ijms20061451 Sikandar S, Dickenson AH. Visceral pain: the ins and outs, the ups and downs. Curr Opin Support Palliat Care. 2012;6(1):17-26. doi:10.1097/SPC.0b013e32834f6ec9 Treede RD, Rief W, Barke A, et al. A classification of chronic pain for ICD-11. Pain. 2015;156(6):1003-1007. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000160 Additional Reading American Cancer Society. Facts about cancer pain. Updated January 3, 2019. National Cancer Institute. Cancer pain - patient version. Updated January 3, 2020. The International Association for the Study of Pain. IASP terminology. Updated December 14, 2017.