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Back pain can be a warning sign of metastatic lung cancer, especially when it is accompanied by breathing difficulties and bloody sputum. However, back pain can have many causes, and a medical screening is necessary to determine the nature of the cancer and develop an appropriate treatment plan.
Lung cancer and back pain may be linked, usually when a patient has metastatic lung cancer that has spread outside the margins of the lungs. Sometimes, back pain is an early warning sign before a tumor has a chance to grow, depending on where the growth is located. Back pain can occur with or without other symptoms of lung cancer, such as bloody sputum and difficulty breathing. Patients undergoing lung cancer evaluation and treatment should be sure to report all symptoms and side effects, as they sometimes provide important clues for health care providers.
When a tumor becomes particularly large and begins to put pressure on lung tissue, back and shoulder pain can develop. Usually, the pain gets worse when the patient breathes deeply. Metastatic tumors that grow beyond the lungs can also start causing back pain by putting pressure on the nerves. However, people can have back pain for many reasons other than lung cancer, so the two aren’t always related.
When it’s caused by lung cancer, back pain doesn’t get better when the patient takes logical steps to treat it. Chiropractic adjustments are ineffective, as are rest, ice, and heat. Patients can adjust their activity levels and lifting habits but still have pain. Pain management medications will block pain signals and bring temporary relief, but the pain will return and may increase over time as the tumor grows.
Patients who notice back pain in association with breathing difficulties, fatigue, and bloody sputum may wish to be evaluated for lung cancer. Lung cancer and back pain may be more common in people with occupational exposure from construction and mining, as these individuals may have previous work-related back injuries that flare as the tumor grows. These people may also be more likely to attribute the pain to the old injury, not noticing changes in pain indicative of a different cause.
While back pain is often characteristic of metastatic lung cancer, this is not always the case. A patient being evaluated for lung cancer who has had back pain should not assume the worst. A medical screening will be needed to learn more about the nature of the cancer and to develop an appropriate treatment plan, based on the stage of the cancer, the patient’s level of general health, and treatment goals.
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