Lung Cancer Pain
![In its early stages, lung cancer typically does not produce any signs and symptoms.](https://images.medicinenet.com/images/article/main_image/cough.jpg?output-quality=75)
In its early stages, lung cancer typically does not produce any signs and symptoms. However, if it does, you will experience coughing and wheezing that do not go away within three weeks. Lung cancer pain can be felt in the chest in later stages. It may be especially prominent while coughing or during exertion. You are also most likely to have shortness of breath as well.
Pain can be experienced in other places as well in certain types of lung cancer. For example, a Pancoast tumor is a type of lung cancer that can cause pain in your shoulder blade, upper back and arms. It grows in the upper lobe and spreads to your upper ribs and vertebrae in your spine. Respiratory symptoms are less likely to be experienced with this tumor.
Other signs and symptoms of lung cancer include
- Chest infections that keep coming back
- Hemoptysis (coughing up blood)
- Persistent tiredness
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Unintentional weight loss
Less common signs and symptoms include
- Curved, shiny nails and fatter fingertips (clubbing of nails): Hormone-like chemicals secreted by some lung tumors can cause blood and fluid to build up in the nails.
- Abdominal pain, constipation and nausea: These may be because of hypercalcemia (high blood calcium levels) caused by lung cancer. Hypercalcemia may also lead to loss of appetite, increased urination and excessive thirst.
- Mental health issues such as anxiety, confusion and depression: This may be due to the stress of diagnosis or cancer affecting the immune system, its spread to the brain or hypercalcemia.
- Newer headaches: This may be because of pooling of the blood in the superior vena cava due to pressure of a lung tumor. You can pass out or get newer headaches. Headaches may also be due to hypercalcemia from the tumor.
- Dizziness: This may be due to lung cancer attacking your nervous system, anemia or a tumor pressing on the superior vena cava.
- Bone pain and weakness: If lung cancer spreads to your bones, your bone can become sore and painful. They can become fragile, and you may feel weak.
- Weight gain: Some lung tumors may produce a hormone known as adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) that causes fluid retention and weight gain.
- Gynecomastia (swollen breasts in men): Some lung tumors can throw off your hormonal balance. This can cause your breasts to swell.
- Hoarse voice: When lung cancer has spread to the laryngeal nerve, it can affect your vocal cords. This manifests as a hoarseness of voice.
- Fast or irregular heartbeat: Your heart rate may become rapid or lose its normal rhythm due to anemia and hypercalcemia. You may also get a heart attack or slip into a coma.
- Swelling of the face or neck: You may develop a puffy face and neck due to the tumor pressing on the superior vena cava. The blood cannot go anywhere from the upper parts of your body. This leads to fluid buildup in your face, neck and arms.
- Horner syndrome: A Pancoast lung tumor can affect the nerves that reach the eye from the brain and the face. This can cause a smaller pupil in one of your eyes with a droopy eyelid. You may also not sweat on one side of your face. This condition is known as Horner syndrome.
- Trouble seeing: Lung cancer can turn your immune system against your nervous system and cause vision problems. This is called cancer-associated paraneoplastic syndrome (PNS).
- Trouble speaking or swallowing: If cancer affects your nervous system, it could weaken your muscles so that you have trouble speaking or swallowing.
Signs and Symptoms of Lung Cancer. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/lung-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/signs-symptoms.html
Clinical manifestations of lung cancer. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/clinical-manifestations-of-lung-cancer
Top Where Do You Feel Lung Cancer Pain? Related Articles
alectinib
Alectinib is a medication used to treat anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Alectinib is a type of targeted therapy that works by selectively inhibiting the activity of ALK protein and “rearranged during transfection” (RET) protein, which cause lung cancers. Common side effects of alectinib include low red cell count (anemia), low count of lymphocytes (lymphopenia), low count of neutrophil immune cells (neutropenia), high serum bilirubin level (hyperbilirubinemia), increase in alkaline phosphatase (ALK), elevated liver enzymes AST and ALT, increase in serum creatinine, increased creatine phosphokinase (CPK), high blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia), low serum albumin (hypoalbuminemia), electrolyte disturbance, and others.ceritinib
Ceritinib is a medication used to treat anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in adults. Ceritinib can cause severe gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Common side effects of ceritinib include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and comfort, constipation, indigestion (dyspepsia), swallowing difficulty (dysphagia), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), increased level of liver enzymes, and others.Does 5 Year Survival Rate Mean You Have 5 Years to Live?
The 5-year survival rate is a percentage indicating the proportion of people with a particular disease that will be alive after five years. No, it doesn't mean you have five years to live.fentanyl patch
Fentanyl transdermal patch is a synthetic narcotic prescribed for severe pain in patients, for example, with cancer pain. Side effects may include yawning, nasal discharge, twitching muscles, nausea, diarrhea, and coughing. Because fentanyl is an opioid, it carries the risks of addiction, abuse, and misuse. Do not take fentanyl if pregnant or breastfeeding.Is Shingles Contagious?
Shingles is an infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus. Shingles symptoms and signs include skin burning, numbness, and tingling along with a painful red, blistering rash. Shingles is contagious until all of the blisters have crusted over.Is There a Screening Test for Lung Cancer?
A screening test is generally performed as a preventative measure to detect a potential health problem or disease in a person who is yet to have signs or symptoms. There is a screening test for lung cancer, however it is only deemed necessary for people at risk for lung cancer.ketorolac
Ketorolac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used for short-term acute pain relief that requires opioid level of pain relief (analgesia). Ketorolac is not used for treating minor or chronic pain. Serious side effects include gastrointestinal bleeding, gastrointestinal perforation, congestive heart failure, heart attack (myocardial infarction), liver failure, kidney failure, and coma (rare). Common side effects include headache, increase in liver enzymes, gastrointestinal symptoms, and others. Consult your doctor before taking ketorolac if pregnant or breastfeeding.Lung Cancer
Lung cancer kills more men and women than any other form of cancer. Eight out of 10 lung cancers are due to tobacco smoke. Lung cancers are classified as either small-cell or non-small-cell lung cancers.Lung Cancer Myths/Facts
Learn about lung cancer myths and facts. Explore how cigar smoke, menthol, and pollution can increase your risk of lung cancer and learn what to avoid.Lung Cancer Picture
Cancer of the lung, like all cancers, results from an abnormality in the body's basic unit of life, the cell. See a picture of Lung Cancer and learn more about the health topic.Lung Cancer Slideshow
Learn about lung cancer early warning signs, symptoms and treatments. What causes stage IV lung cancer? Get more information on small cell lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and the diagnosis of lung cancer stages.Know Your Lung Cancer Facts Quiz
Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer deaths in both men and women in the U.S. and worldwide. Get the facts about lung cancer with this quiz.methadone hydrochloride
Methadone hydrochloride is a synthetic opioid analgesic medication used for opioid detoxification and management of severe pain that does not respond to alternate treatment and requires long-term opioid treatment. Methadone is also used to treat chronic and severe cancer pain or pain from nerve damage (neuropathy). The most common side effects of methadone hydrochloride include lightheadedness, dizziness, sedation, nausea, vomiting, sweating, and injection site reactions. Methadone hydrochloride has a high potential for addiction, abuse, and misuse and can lead to overdose.morphine
Morphine is a pain reliever (analgesic) used to manage moderate-to-severe acute and chronic pain, including post-surgical pain, and pain caused by cancer and other conditions. Morphine has a high risk for addiction, abuse, and misuse that can lead to overdose and death. Common side effects of morphine include itching (pruritus), urinary retention, vomiting, headache, drowsiness (somnolence), and constipation. Consult your doctor before taking morphine if pregnant. Taking morphine while breastfeeding is not recommended due to risk to infant.nivolumab
Nivolumab is a medication used in the treatment of many types of cancers (esophageal cancer, head and neck cancer, small cell and non-small cell [NSCLC] lung cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma, and others), mostly advanced or metastatic, either as monotherapy or in combination with other medications. Common side effects of nivolumab include fatigue, headache, fever, dizziness, weakness (asthenia), musculoskeletal pain, joint pain (arthralgia), blood disorders, and others. Nivolumab can cause fetal harm. Do not take if pregnant or breastfeeding.paclitaxel
Paclitaxel is a chemotherapy drug used to treat various types of cancers including ovarian cancer, breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and AIDS-related Kaposi sarcoma. Common side effects of paclitaxel include blood disorders, bleeding, infections, injection site reaction, leakage of drug out of the vein (extravasation), skin rash, hair loss (alopecia), hypersensitivity reactions, severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), severe skin reactions, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sore mouth (stomatitis), and others. Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding.Tabrecta (capmatinib)
Tabrecta (capmatinib) is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with a kind of lung cancer called non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Serious side effects of Tabrecta include lung, breathing, or liver problems.Tepmetko (tepotinib)
Tepmetko (tepotinib) is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic), and whose tumors have an abnormal mesenchymal epithelial transition (MET) gene. Serious side effects of Tepmetko include liver problems. Common side effects include swelling in your face or other parts of your body, tiredness, nausea, diarrhea, muscle and joint pain, and shortness of breath.