Which common types of cancer cause inflammatory pain?
Commonly occurring cancers such as prostate, breast, and lung frequently metastasize to bone. Bone metastases cause painful pathological and/or compression fractures; the metastatic lesions themselves can incite significant pain due to the release of pain-signaling substances such as prostaglandins, endothelins, and bradykinin. Gastrointestinal malignancies such as colon, pancreatic, and hepatocellular carcinoma can progress to increased tumor burden; the resulting abdominal pain may be due to ascites, visceral capsular stretching, and/or extrinsic pressure on intraabdominal structures. Central nervous system tumors typically cause headache, visual pain, and/or blindness, and possible loss of sensory or motor function.