There are three types of cancer pain, based on where in the body the pain is felt, somatic, visceral, and neuropathic.  Pain of all three types can be either acute or chronic. Somatic, visceral, and neuropathic pain can all be felt at the same time or singly and at different times.

Somatic pain relates to nerve ending in tissues or bones which may feel aching.

Viscera refers to the internal areas of the body that are enclosed within a cavity, like the chest, abdomen and pelvis.

Neuropathic pain can be damage or irritation to nerves. It is often described as sharp, flashing, burning, like an electric shock or tingling.

Neuropathic pain is the result of an injury or malfunction in the peripheral or central nervous system. The pain is often triggered by an injury, but this injury may or may not involve actual damage to the nervous system. Nerves can be infiltrated or compressed by tumors, strangulated by scar tissue, or inflamed by infection. The pain frequently has burning, lancinating, or electric shock qualities. Persistent allodynia, pain resulting from a non painful stimulus such as a light touch, is also a common characteristic of neuropathic pain. The pain may persist for months or years beyond the apparent healing of any damaged tissues. In this setting, pain signals no longer represent an alarm about ongoing or impending injury, instead the alarm system itself is malfunctioning.

Neuropathic pain is frequently chronic, and tends to have a less robust response to treatment with opioids, but may respond well to other drugs such as anti-seizure and antidepressant medications. Usually, neuropathic problems are not fully reversible, but partial improvement is often possible with proper treatment.