Eighty-five patients suffering from advanced cancer pain were asked to attribute a 'definite value' to 5 key words describing pain by rating them on a visual analogue scale (VAS). The score which the patient attributed to each key word was then correlated with 9 variables obtained through patient monitoring files (sex, age, educational background, financial situation, integrated pain score, number of concomitant symptoms, hours of sleep and standing, performance status). The visual analogue rating of pain description was not related to the variables examined. However, important correlations were found: the higher the degree of pain, the higher the concomitant symptoms, and the greater reduction in hours of sleep and standing.