There can be a connection between shoulder pain and lung cancer. In some cases, the shoulder pain may be the result of lung cancer while in some; it could be due to another cause like arthritis.
Many lung cancer patients develop shoulder pain at some point of time during the course of the disease and sometimes, it is the first symptom. In some patients, shoulder pain is one of the early signs of lung cancer. This shoulder pain in lung cancer patients differs by person, depending on the location and type of cancer. For those having cancer in left lung experience pain in left shoulder and if on the right, they have right shoulder pain.
Sometimes, the shoulder pain is associated with lung cancer and is caused by a relatively rare form of cancer which is called pancoast tumors. Such tumors are formed in an area at top of lungs and as this area is close to the shoulder, it can cause intense pain there. Shoulder pain can also be related to spread of lung cancer to bones in and near the shoulder.
The causes for shoulder pain could be a variety of medical conditions. One of the reasons is injury. Other reason is that it occurs due to pain in other area of body. There are obviously a lot more common causes of shoulder pain other than lung cancer. If you have any question about shoulder pain, it’s better and safe to talk to your doctor. The symptoms more concerning to lung cancer is pain that occurs at rest or that pain which is not associated with any loss of motion. Shoulder pain is more likely to be something non-skeletal. Shoulder pain is only likely to be a symptom of lung cancer when you are having other lung cancer symptoms such as shortness of breath, persistent cough, coughing up blood, fatigue etc.
The information shared in this blog is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.