A specific location of lung cancer tumour also shows up as pain in the shoulders and neck area
Lung cancer is a leading cause of death across the world, primarily arising from uncontrolled growth of cells in the lungs. According to experts, lung cancer does not always show obvious signs or symptoms until it becomes advanced.
And so, a cough that does not go away or breathlessness without any cause are some of the more common symptoms you may hear. However, there are a few surprising signs.
How is shoulder pain a sign of lung cancer?
Doctors say in a few cases a specific location of a lung cancer tumour also shows up as pain in the shoulders and neck area. It happens if the tumour exerts pressure on a nearby nerve or if lung cancer spreads to the bones in or around the shoulder. It can easily be missed as well because shoulder pain is usually not associated with a deadly condition like cancer and is mostly blamed on bad posture.
Doctors say if you have been experiencing shoulder pain, the tumour may have developed at the top of your bone and must be exerting pressure on the nerves and blood vessels leading to the arm, causing pain and weakness in the arm, neck area, or shoulder. It is also often accompanied by a persistent pins and needles sensation.
Apart from causing pain or weakness in your arms, shoulders, and chest, the tumour can also obstruct blood flow to the head, leading to swelling on your face.
What are the first signs of lung cancer?
A cough or pneumonia that keeps coming back after treatment can sometimes be an early sign of lung cancer, even though doctors say it can also be a sign of less serious conditions. The most common signs of lung cancer include a persistent or worsening cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, hoarseness, or unexplained weight loss.
Depending on where the cancer starts in your lungs, some of these symptoms can happen early, but most often they do not happen until cancer progresses to later stages. And so, it is important to get screened for lung cancer if you are at higher risk.
What causes lung cancer, and what are the risk factors?
Lung cancer is caused by cells that keep dividing or mutating. While cell division is a normal process, all cells have a built-in off switch that keeps them from dividing into more cells or causes them to die off when necessary. The off switch is triggered when a cell has divided too many times or has too many mutations.
Cancer cells can get into your lymph nodes and move to other places in your body, spreading the damage. Experts estimate that 80 per cent of lung cancer deaths are smoking-related. Other risk factors include:
- Being exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke
- Being exposed to harmful substances, like air pollution, radon, asbestos, uranium, diesel exhaust, silica, coal products and others
- Having previous radiation treatments to your chest, like for breast cancer or lymphoma
- Having a family history of lung cancer
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