The spongy, pinkish-gray walls of the lungs' air sacs or bronchi (also known as bronchioles) are where the disease almost always first manifests itself.
Lung cancer comes in more than 20 different varieties. Non-small-cell lung cancer and small-cell lung cancer are the two main types.
Cancer begins in your lungs and spreads to other body organs. Despite being the leading cause of cancer fatalities for both men and women in the United States, it is also one of the cancers that can be prevented the most by quitting smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke from others.
Is shoulder pain an indicator of lung cancer? Most likely not. Arthritis, bursitis, and tendinitis are significantly more likely causes of shoulder pain than cancer, which is very rarely one of them. However, this is the reason why shoulder pain may be related to certain types of lung cancer.
The most typical symptom of Pancoast tumor, a particular type of cancer, is a shoulder ache. They are uncommon tumors. Only 3% to 5% of lung cancer cases involve them.
The top portion of one of your lungs is where these tumors begin, but breathing-related symptoms are rare. They frequently progress to the nearby ribs, vertebrae, nerves, or blood vessels. You may get shoulder pain if it spread.
In addition to shoulder pain, Pancoast tumors can result in arm pain, muscle weakness, tingling skin, and a loss of sensation in the region. As they develop, the pain may radiate to your armpit, upper back, shoulder blades, and even your arm.
Horner's syndrome, which affects 40% of persons with Pancoast tumors, is a condition. One sign of the illness is an excruciating shoulder ache. Another name for it is Pancoast syndrome.
A Pancoast tumor may grow into and press against nearby nerves if it leaves your lung. Along with shoulder pain, the symptoms of this squeezing are nerve-related.
The malignancy of mesothelioma is quite uncommon. It is typically brought on by prolonged airborne asbestos fiber exposure. A rare but potential early sign of the disease known as pleural mesothelioma is shoulder pain. It could range from mild to severe. You might also notice that your shoulder joint is stiff or unresponsive if you have this disease.
Affected by pleural mesothelioma is the lining of your lungs. Chest pain, a cough, and shortness of breath are the condition's more frequent initial symptoms.
Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a kind of cancer that, in about 50% of cases, isn't discovered until it has migrated outside of the lungs. Metastatic or advanced cancer is what that is.
When this occurs, bones, internal organs, and nerves may all suffer injury. Rarely, it might also have an impact on your muscles. Extreme shoulder discomfort is unusual, but it could be an indication that the disease has progressed and harmed your muscles.
Most of the time, rather than being brought on by a tumor, shoulder discomfort is brought on by repetitive motions of your joint, injury, fracture, or inflammation of soft tissues.
If your shoulder discomfort radiates to other parts of your body or you experience additional symptoms like arm pain, muscle weakness, or tingling, you should visit your doctor for a comprehensive examination. Tell your doctor if you've recently or in the past been exposed to asbestos at work. The primary cause of mesothelioma is inhaling asbestos.
Imaging examinations such as MRIs, CT scans, or PET scans may reveal a Pancoast tumor or mesothelioma symptoms.
Your doctor may perform a needle biopsy to examine tissue from the tumor or lung fluid in order to determine whether it is cancer and, if so, how far along it has already progressed.