Symptoms of pancoast tumor

[Abhishek]

Hi everyone. I need some help here. First of all, I want to say that I am not a LC patient and apologize to everyone for actually posting over here which is designed to help those brave people fighting the disease everyday. It is okk if you do not answer me but I need some help as I am a hypochondriac and need some help. For the past 3-4 months, I am having shoulder blade pain which radiates from left to right side of my shoulder. The pain scale is 2/10 and it  is intermittent and I can do everything with it, complete all my daily activities. At certain points of the day, the pain comes back, lasts for about 20 secs followed by a dull aching for an hour or so and then the pain goes away. During this time(when my shoulder aches), I have found that any physical activity eases the pain. For example, the pain attacks me in the shoulder and if i immediately go to the treadmill and do half an hour of jogging, the pain completely goes away only to return the next day. I feel the pain everyday in the morning after waking up and it slowly eases throughout the day coming back intermittently. I have stated before that I can do all my daily activities with relative ease and can workout at the gym or at home normally without any difficulty or pain. It is because of this I feel that my pain is not in my shoulder directly because if the pain was in my shoulder, wouldnt lifting and running at the gym aggravate the pain?. 

I have visited my family doctor who said I have strained my shoulder muscles and it will take time to go. He always sends me back giving advices like rest your shoulder or heat whenever the ache occurs but isnt 4 months too long for a shoulder strain? I asked him to give me a chest and shoulder xray and told me that googling my symptoms have led me to a certain pancoast tumor which has the same symptoms in its early stages. Last week, i begged him for an xray and CT, but he refuses saying I am too young for this and since I can run without having shortness of breath, my lungs are good and I dont need to undergo harmful radiations for nothing. He knows I am a hypochondriac and is not taking me seriously. But since I have already googled and got pancoast tumor, my mind is now never at ease. For the last 3-4 days 2 more symptoms have appeared. I have a slight arm ache and when my chin touches my chest during a yoga pose, I am having pain in my neck. 

  I want to take the advice of people who have dealt with these or similar to these symptoms and eventually got diagnosed. Should i privately go for a chest xray and CT and put my mind at ease or is my hypochondriac mind creating havoc again? Am i worrying for no reason at all. I will summarize my symptoms once more for you:-

1.I have intermittent shoulder/shoulder blade pain radiating from one side to another with a pain scale 2-3/10.

2. I have recently developed a slight arm pain and neck pain

3. Pain goes away with vigorous exercise, eases with any moderate physical activity.

4. It has been 4 months since the onset of this pain

5. I am currently on no medications for this thing. I dont need pain meds for the pain as my pain tolerance is high and the pain itself is not too much.

I once again apologize for posting this but I really need help. Sorry.

[Tom Galli]

Abhishek,

I believe a pancoast tumor can be or is a form of lung cancer.  These tumors are located in the top portions of the lung, and I believe it is the only form of lung cancer to cause pain symptoms.  So, no need for an apology.  That said, I am not a doctor.

I further believe that all one needs to acquire lung cancer is a pair of lungs -- age has nothing to do with the acquisition.  Knowing that, if I had your symptoms, I'd insist on an x-ray or much better yet, a CT scan.

Stay the course.

Tom