To better understand the phenomenon of patient-related barriers to cancer pain management and address them more effectively in interventional studies, a theoretical model related to psychological aspects of pain experience and pain-related behaviours was elaborated. The aim of the study was to analyse the impact of patient-related barriers on cancer pain management outcomes following this model. Thirty-three patients responded to the Brief Pain Inventory Pain scale, the Danish Barriers Questionnaire II (DBQ-II), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS), the Danish version of Patient Perceived Involvement in Care Scale measuring the quality of patient-physician pain communication, and the Danish version of Medication Adherence Report Scale (DMARS-4). Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 16.00. The results of the multivariable linear regression analyses showed that pain intensity was explained by patients' emotional distress (symptoms of anxiety and depression) and that pain relief was explained by cognitive barriers. In conclusion, interventions in emotional distress and patients' concerns may supposedly result in better cancer pain management outcomes.