Lung Cancer & Chest Pain

Chest pain is an indicator of a variety of health problems, such as heart disease. However, chest pain is also associated with certain types of lung cancer. If you experience frequent chest pain, contact your doctor immediately, as lung cancer spreads quickly.

Symptoms

• Persistent chest pain is one of the symptoms associated with lung cancer. However, it is not the only symptom, and chest pain is not exclusively associated with lung cancer. Still, according to iasp-pain.org, approximately 25 percent of patients who are diagnosed with lung cancer experience persistent chest pain.

Causes

• According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), smoking is the most common cause of chest pain and subsequent lung cancer. Other risk factors include exposure to second-hand smoke and asbestos. However, if you experience chest pain and have not experienced any of these risk factors, you should still see your doctor for a diagnosis.

Types

• According to the NCI, chest pain is associated with small cell lung cancer. Small cell carcinoma and combined small cell carcinoma are the two types of small cell lung cancer. According to iasp-pain.org, the average prognosis for a patient with small cell lung cancer is less than five years, as it spreads rapidly.

Diagnosis

• If you have chest pain and are a smoker, or have smoked in the past, your doctor will do some tests along with a physical exam to determine whether the pain is attributed to lung cancer. Tests may include: a biopsy of your lungs; a bronchoscopy to look for signs of lung cancer in your trachea; a CAT scan of your abdomen, brain and chest; a chest x-ray; a positron emission tomography (PET) scan to detect malignant tumors in your chest area; sputum cytology, in which a microscope detects lung cancer through your mucous; and a thorocoscopy, a type of surgery in which your lungs are looked at through an incision between your ribs.

Prevention/Solution

• If you experience chest pain, see a doctor immediately. Chest pain associated with lung cancer may be relieved with a prescribed corticosteroid, such as dexamethasone. Your chances of recovering from small cell lung cancer are greater if caught early. According to the NCI, small cell lung cancer is generally incurable for most patients. However, research is continuously being done through clinical trials in an effort to find a cure. The NCI recommends that you participate in such clinical trials so that way you have a better chance of possibly being cured.