Cancer patients below 40 years of age have lesser pain threshold as compared to patients in their 50s and 60s, a study published in the November issue of Pain Medicine said.

Younger adult patients showed more instances of difficulty in coping with pain and also faced additional problems with emotional and financial issues than older people suffering from cancer.

The researchers at University of Michigan Health System also found that the younger patients reported higher cases of pain flare ups and difficulty in thinking properly within six months of their being diagnosed with cancer.

For this the researchers studied 100 patients in advanced stages of various forms of cancer including breast, lung, colorectal or prostate cancer, or bone marrow cancer multiple myeloma. They were surveyed after six months of their diagnosis. The younger patients reported pains in more areas of their bodies than older ones. They showed 4.5 locations of pain as against 2.2 locations shown by the older patients. The younger ones had pain in the spine, back, arms, abdomen and elsewhere while the older adults mostly experienced pain in the spine.

"Our study provides evidence for the significant toll of cancer pain on overall health and well-being of young and old adults alike, but demonstrate an increased toll for younger adults, especially financially," study author Dr. Carmen R. Green, a professor of anesthesiology, obstetrics and gynecology, and health management and policy, said.

The younger patients also had more worry regarding their healthcare bills and had trouble paying the costs. It was twice as much as complained by the older patients. The younger people also reported lower incomes, and 8 percent of them said that pain affected their mood. While only 4.14 percent of patients in the age group of 60 and older said the same.