What is the pain in the late stage of cancer?

  Advanced cancer is typically a stage where multiple organ metastases occur. Pain can occur in multiple locations throughout the body and treatment has an extremely unique approach.  Cancer, due to its metastatic nature, may develop multiple organ metastases throughout the body in the advanced stages of the disease. Cancer can metastasize from the primary organ to extremely important areas such as the lungs, bones, and brain. Metastases to the lungs may cause chest pain due to direct infiltration of tumor into the lungs, causing pleural fluid, etc. Metastases to the bones may cause pain due to pathological fractures during the growth of the bones, and metastases to the brain may cause severe headache due to intracranial hypertension caused by the growth of tumor. Tumors can also metastasize to other sites, causing pain and discomfort in a variety of locations. Pain in advanced cancer can be caused by one site or multiple sites, and the pain will usually gradually worsen as the disease continues to progress.  In addition, advanced cancer pain is a result of multiple factors, including somatic, psychological, social and spiritual factors. If the pain conveys negative messages, the intensity of pain will increase. Patients with advanced cancer will realize that they are about to part with their families, when pain and pain coexist. Therefore, in the advanced stage of cancer, comforting care from family members and one’s own attitude toward the disease can sometimes be more effective in relieving pain than increasing the dose of opioids.  Pain in the late stage of cancer is mainly due to the painful discomfort caused by metastasis of various organs as well as psychological and social factors. Various means are usually taken to improve the quality of life of patients as much as possible.