<p>One third of all Swedish people will suffer in cancer. Pain is a common symptom in cancer patients. The pain is subjective and includes several dimensions. The dimensions of pain are the physical, psychological, social and spiritual. This is a literature review and the aim with this study was to identify the pain experience in patients with cancer receiving palliative care. Nineteen articles were analysed. The result shows that the physical pain was experienced as chronicle or episodic pain.</p><p>Psychological pain included fear, distress and anxiety. Social pain was a result of loss of relationships and ability to take part of activities. Spiritual pain was expressed as feelings of meaningless, hopelessness and fear for the future. Different kinds of dimensions cooperate with each other. They can strengthen each other and one dimension of pain can lead to another. The articles that have been analysed focus on several dimension of pain. To be able to relieve the pain and other symptoms, the nurse needs to have a holistic view of patients and to be aware of how all dimensions of pain that is expressed by the patient.</p>

One third of all Swedish people will suffer in cancer. Pain is a common symptom in cancer patients. The pain is subjective and includes several dimensions. The dimensions of pain are the physical, psychological, social and spiritual. This is a literature review and the aim with this study was to identify the pain experience in patients with cancer receiving palliative care. Nineteen articles were analysed. The result shows that the physical pain was experienced as chronicle or episodic pain. Psychological pain included fear, distress and anxiety. Social pain was a result of loss of relationships and ability to take part of activities. Spiritual pain was expressed as feelings of meaningless, hopelessness and fear for the future. Different kinds of dimensions cooperate with each other. They can strengthen each other and one dimension of pain can lead to another. The articles that have been analysed focus on several dimension of pain. To be able to relieve the pain and other symptoms, the nurse needs to have a holistic view of patients and to be aware of how all dimensions of pain that is expressed by the patient.