Back pain is usually a dull ache in the lower back, which may radiate to the buttocks and legs. It can be caused by an injury or other conditions like arthritis or sciatica (nerve irritation). Lung pains are deep, stabbing pains that usually occur in the upper back near where your shoulder blades meet at your spine.
Where is the lung pain felt in the back? Due to the location of the lungs, most lung conditions cause pain in the upper-to-middle regions of the back. It's not unheard of for some lung conditions to cause lower back pain, but it is much less common.
Spinal cord compression.
If lung cancer grows and spreads, it can put pressure on the bones that make up the spine and the spinal cord or the nerves as they exit the spinal cord. This can lead to pain in your neck or upper, middle, or lower back. The pain may also spread to your arms, buttocks, or legs.
Lung cancer-related back pain may feel dull like a muscle ache, or it may seem sharp like a pinched nerve.
Pain in the back, along with shoulder and neck pain, are all symptoms of lung cancer. Many people who are living with lung cancer will experience back pain at some point during their disease. Our lungs are large, complex and vital organs that are protected by the rib cage.
Shortness of breath. Wheezing. Coughing up blood. Feeling very tired all the time.
Most people with lung cancer do not feel pain or other symptoms during the early stages. This is because there are very few nerve endings in the lungs. However, pain can occur when lung cancer invades the chest wall, ribs, vertebrae, or certain nerves.
If your pain gets worse when moving, at night, or when lying on your back, it's probably bone pain. Lung cancer can spread to the bones, causing bone pain in the spine/back, pelvis, or large bones of the arms and legs.
Your doctor may suspect lung cancer if a physical exam reveals: Swollen lymph nodes above your collarbone. A mass in your abdomen. Weak breathing.
When upper back pain prolongs for over a week, and chronic pain symptoms emerge, you should contact your healthcare provider. Other signs that you should seek medical support include: Numbness or weakness in the arms, legs, or buttocks. At-home care is ineffective (over-the-counter pain relievers, applying heat or ice)
They should also speak to a doctor if their upper right back pain does not go away after a week. A person should seek immediate medical attention if the back pain accompanies other worrying symptoms, including muscle weakness, bladder issues, tingling, or numbness.
There are usually no signs or symptoms in the early stages of lung cancer, but many people with the condition eventually develop symptoms including: a persistent cough. coughing up blood. persistent breathlessness.
What does lung cancer feel like? Sometimes it doesn't feel like anything at all. Because lung cancer doesn't typically cause pain or other warning signs in its early stages, many people don't realize they have the disease.
If a biopsy is not possible, the doctor may suggest other tests that will help make a diagnosis. Lung cancer cannot be detected by routine blood testing, but blood tests may be used to identify genetic mutations in people who are already known to have lung cancer (see "Biomarker testing of the tumor" below).
Cigarette smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer. Lung cancer also can be caused by using other types of tobacco (such as pipes or cigars), breathing secondhand smoke, being exposed to substances such as asbestos or radon at home or work, and having a family history of lung cancer.
For lung cancer, early-detection screening by a low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scanA form of CT scan that uses less radiation than a standard chest CT (also called low-dose spiral CT scan or helical CT scan) has proven to be effective among individuals considered to be at high risk.
In early-stage lung cancer finger clubbing, the nail bed may be soft and the skin next to it may be shiny; nails may appear more curved than usual when viewed from the side, and the ends of fingers may become larger than usual.