With the advancement of technology and medicine, diagnosis and treatment for various diseases has become easier. However, it is still very important to understand symptoms and undertake an accurate analysis of what one might be suffering from. The medical community points out that generally, people make mistakes when it comes to identifying symptoms of cancer, especially lung cancer. Most of them are unaware of how diverse the indications can be.
While, generally, one might get themselves checked when they experience shortness of breath (or dyspnea), persistent coughing, chronic lung problems, including pneumonia and bronchitis, coughing up blood, phlegm, or mucus, chest or back pain, they are likely to overlook something as simple as shoulder pain!
Yes, that’s right. Shoulder pain may be the first sign of lung cancer.
If you experience shoulder pain and have other symptoms of lung cancer or are at high risk for it, consult your doctor immediately. Early diagnosis is the key to getting effective treatment for lung cancer.
Cancer growth in the top half of the lung (called Pancoast’s tumor) can pinch certain nerves that supply the shoulders. This results in intense pain in the upper body, especially the shoulder area. This can cause a cluster of symptoms known as Horner’s syndrome.
A tumor in the lung that spreads to the bones in and around the shoulder or spine can also cause shoulder pain. If a tumor in the lung is large, it can contribute to shoulder pain by pressing on other nearby structures. This is called the mass effect.
Shoulder pain can also occur when the tumor puts pressure on the phrenic nerve in the lungs. Even though the nerve is in the lungs, the brain interprets this as coming from the shoulder. This is known as “referred pain.”
Most times, shoulder pain can simply be caused by a minor injury, poor posture when sitting or standing, a frozen shoulder, a broken arm or a broken collarbone, disorders of the rotator cuff, tendonitis, osteoarthritis, a dislocated shoulder, problems with acromioclavicular joint, bursitis, an overactive thyroid, or hyperthyroidism.
However, if your shoulder pain is persistent, you should get yourself checked for lung cancer especially in the following circumstances: occurs during rest, isn’t associated with any strenuous activity, involves the shoulder, happens at night, doesn’t resolve itself after a few weeks. These situations are heightened if one also happens to be a smoker.