hockeyma Posted December 23, 2006 Share Posted December 23, 2006 Hi My husband is and has been experiencing a severe amount of shoulder and arm pain - this started the week before his diagnosis and two weeks after a car accident we were in. Our doctor say it is pain from the cancer. He is on chemo- gemzar and carboplatin - has anyone else had this happen to them either due to the treatment "or" just the cancer? He is thinking maybe it is arthritis. He is on oxycodone 10mg right now - about 12 per day. I know that sometimes the chemo can affect the nerve endings but this is quite severe. Any comments or ideas of other ways to relieve and what it could be. Thanks, Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Wood Posted December 23, 2006 Share Posted December 23, 2006 My wife, Lucie, had severe arm and hand pain. That was how her lung cancer diagnosis was started. She had a large tumor on her spine, which caused this pain. You may want to ask your doctor about a scan of the upper spine and the arm, to be sure this is not tumor related. If it is tumor related, you might consider radiation to relieve the pain. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastCoastLadi Posted December 23, 2006 Share Posted December 23, 2006 Sorry to hear about your husbands' pain, I can tell you with my husband that the platium based chemo drugs such as carbo&cisplatin can reek havoc on the nerve endings..my husband has constant numbness and pins and needles feeling in his feet and hands...(neuropathy). Grace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna G Posted December 24, 2006 Share Posted December 24, 2006 I had a "Pancoast Tumor" which is a tumor up in the apex of my right lung, larger than a golf ball. I went to the doctor with shoulder and chest pain expecting I had slipped a disc in my neck but on CXR there it was , lung cancer! The pain went away as the tumor got smaller with chemo and radiation. I also got neuropathy from Cisplatin (chemo) but that is different from the pain I had from the tumor. Donna G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judy-OK Posted December 24, 2006 Share Posted December 24, 2006 I experienced pain that seemed to begin under my right arm and then progressed by starting to move across my chest and also across my back. Was diagnosed with lung cancer approximtely 5 months after I first noticed the pain. I believe that the radiation (35 treatments) did more to relive the pain than anything else did. I was on hydrocodone for the pain until it began to subside. I still have some tingly types of feelings which at times I mistake for pain but I believe that is caused by nerves that were damaged during the radiation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamataca Posted December 24, 2006 Share Posted December 24, 2006 So far we have been spared this complication, but I pray for relief for your husband soon! Kelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed70 Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 My mom had a pancoast tumor removed in 2004 and has had progression so she now has upper back, shoulder and arm pain from it. She had cyber knife which helped. I would get it looked at!!! Kelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hockeyma Posted January 3, 2007 Author Share Posted January 3, 2007 Hello everyone and thanks for your help. I had mentioned to our home town oncologist about the possibility of pancoast tumor a while ago and he said it wasn't - as at that time the 1st ct scan presented at diagnosis stated no sign of pancoast. So we figured neuropathy from the chemo. So with a little re-assurance from this board as the pain and numbness have progressed - we were at Sunnybrook today and sure enough my husband is presenting symptoms of Horners syndrom as a result of pancoast tumour....the doc thought I was pretty smart. I told him I get alot of help. Proves how good it is to do a lot of talking to others and investigating. They will start radiation in February on his brain met, the svc area and the pancoast area but he has to get ct scans to show what exactly chemo has improved and biopsy retested again as they are not postitive the primary is lung - the biopsy was analyzed twice and determined as pulminary origin - not specified. As you can see he has mets in a pile of spots and we don't begrudge anything cause they had him on chemo so very quickly and there is much improvement as lymph nodes in neck are no longer swollen and he can now swallow big pills and eat more than he could before. The doctors have seen his symptoms characteristic in thyroid cancer. For some reason we feel more secure today than before. It is just to get through the next few weeks without the security of chemo. If anyone has a good info site for pancoast tumours I would appreciate it. Also if anyone has come across anyone else who has had his type of symptoms and mets I would appreciate too. Sincerely and thanks, Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marym Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 HI Heather, I was diagnosed because of pain in my right shoulder. I had radiation to releive the pain. I was on the gemzar/carbo for some time and never experienced pain as a result. Best to you and your husband. Mary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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