Pain, An Indication of Cancer Risk?

People suffering from widespread pain lasting at least a day may have a higher risk of dying of cancer, British researchers said in late September.

They believe the pain may be an early indication of an undetected cancer or could mean a shorter survival period for people who develop the disease.

"We have shown an association between the report of widespread pain and excess mortality from cancer in the medium and long term," Professor Gary Macfarlane of the University of Manchester said in a report in the British Medical Journal.

The researchers compared the type and frequency of pain and the causes of death of 6,569 people up to the age of 85 over an eight-year period. Heart disease was the biggest killer in the study group, followed by cancer and respiratory disease.

Fifteen percent of the volunteers complained of overall pain, slightly less than half had regional pain, and more than one-third had no pain at all.