Persistent back pain? Don’t ignore it - it may be lung cancer, warns oncologist

Persistent back pain isn’t always due to bad posture or strain. In rare cases, it can be an early sign of lung cancer. Experts explain how to spot red flags, when to seek medical help, and why early diagnosis matters. (Image: Pexels)

Back pain is quietly becoming one of the most common health complaints of our day and age. Long hours seated at our desks combined with non-stop scrolling on mobile devices are having a huge impact on people’s spine health. Bad posture, low physical activity, muscle strain, obesity and even stress can all contribute to that ache or stiffness in the back. For most people, back pain is an inconvenience at worst — something that they can ignore or treat with painkillers and stretches.

But not all back pain is created equal. Although most cases are, in fact, rooted in posture or muscle fatigue, prolonged or abnormal pain can be the body’s way of telling us that something is wrong. Sometimes, it can even be a silent indicator of internal problems like infections, arthritis or — more frighteningly — cancer.

Experts have stressed the importance of how acute or chronic the back pain was experienced, as well as specific characteristics (if any) and its regularity. What begins as a dull throb can, in rare cases, signal a more serious underlying problem that needs to be checked out by a doctor. Knowing when to take back pain seriously may be the key to early diagnosis and better health.

The most common symptoms of lung cancer include persistent cough with or without blood in Sputum, unintentional weight loss, change in voice, shortness of breath. But sometimes a patient may feel backache different from regular aches. Studies have suggested that around 25% of people with lung cancer experience back pain through multiple pathways. Such as:

• When a lung tumour grows, it may press on nerves, the chest wall, or structures near the spine. This creates a pain or discomfort in the upper or mid-back that is due to pressure effects or invasion of adjacent tissues.
• Lung cancer can spread to bones, particularly the ribs and vertebrae, this is called bone metastasis. When cancer cells invade the spine, triggering constant, deep and often worsening the back pain.
• The tumour's presence may inflame the tissues or irritate lining membranes (pleura) in the chest, causing pain that seems to radiate backward.Unlike typical mechanical back pain, Cancer pain tends to be dull, unrelenting, progressive, and less responsive to rest or over-the-counter pain relievers. For many lung cancer patients, back pain is often one of the first clues, only to become more noticeable once the cancer has involved the spine. When lung cancer involves bones- considered as an advanced stage of lung cancer. Also Read: World lung Cancer Day: Don't ignore these symptoms that mimic common illnessWhen should you see a doctor for back pain?

Dr Debanti Banerjee, Associate Consultant, Medical Oncology, HCG Cancer Centre, Kolkata, told Moneycontrol, “The way our bodies are constructed, they begin to exhibit symptoms when something goes wrong. Similarly, if you experience pain or inflammation that wakes you up at night or gets worse when you're lying down, or if you've had persistent pain for more than three to four weeks without a known cause, pain that can become worse by movement, coughing, or deep breathing, fatigue, appetite loss, and inexplicable weight loss, smoking history, exposure to second-hand smoke, or prolonged exposure to pollutants, immediately consult a doctor.”

“Additionally, there are some new neurological symptoms reported, such as numbness, weakness, and tingling in the arms or legs. Inadequate response to standard care (rest, analgesics, physiotherapy) which could be alarming signs. You should never take upper back pain lightly, especially if it interferes with your sleep or spreads to your limbs,” added Dr Debanti Banerjee

Lung cancer remains one of the most prevalent cancers globally. In India, tobacco is a major culprit, and India ranks among the highest consumers of tobacco, and tobacco is responsible for about 27% of all cancers in the country.

Yet, lung cancer is no longer only a smoker’s disease. In metro cities, experts have seen increasing diagnoses among non-smokers, largely attributed to air pollution, vehicular emissions, and exposure to biomass smoke.

Early lung cancer often produces few or no symptoms, many cases are discovered late. In fact, only about 16% of lung cancer cases globally are detected while still localized, when five-year survival rates are much higher.

1. Visit your physician regularly.
2. In smokers –sometimes LDCT Thorax helps in early Detection.
3. Baseline tests like chest X-ray, spine X-ray, complete blood panel can help to detect. If abnormalities appear, proceed to CT scan or MRI of chest and spine
4. Once lung cancer is confirmed, staging scans (PET-CT, MRI) help chart the extent.
5. Management of pain, symptoms, and quality of life with analgesics, supportive care from day one.
6. Quit smoking and avoid second-hand smoke.FAQs about First Aid for Back Pain and Lung Cancer

Generally, the pain appears in the mid-back or upper back, between the shoulder blades. And when the cancer starts spreading down, pain in the lower back is also felt.

Back pain is no more an old age illness, younger people may also suffer.