Identifying the etiology of pain is essential to appropriate management.  In the majority of cases (78%), pain is caused by direct tumor involvement. There are several causes of pain in patients with advanced cancer:

Direct Tumor Involvement (78%)

• Bone metastases
• Nerve compression
• Hollow Viscus
• Visceral organs

Cancer Therapy (19%)

• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation Therapy

Unrelated Pain (3%)

• Post herpetic neuralgia
• Arthritic pain