The interaction between pain and anxiety in the setting of somatic ill
ness is a widely recognised association. More accurate knowledge about
the association and also about the means of assessing anxiety in a cl
inical setting are of use to the clinician. The present study used the
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale for assessment of anxiety, and
the set of linear analogue scales for detecting the presence and sever
ity of anxiety and pain in an oncology clinic, where patients were und
ergoing active treatment for cancer. The relationship between pain and
anxiety was found to be significant, even when the possible mediating
effect of the variables of illness severity and age were removed. The
need for detecting anxiety in order to plan treatment strategy is emp
hasised.