Worried about lung cancer

Worried472
Posts:2

I am 32 and recently start experiencing some worrying symptoms. I have had a cough for 3 weeks now and bad right shoulder pain that shoots down my arm for almost as long. The pain started mild at first but has gotten worse. It hurts mostly when I move the wrong way and feels almost like a pinched nerve. I can go most of the day with it being pretty tolerable but have stretches where it hurts really bad. I also feel short of breath quite a bit during the days but it isn't that short of breath of that makes sense. Just feels like I'm taking more deep breaths than usual and sometimes it feels like I can't fully take a deep breath. My Dr prescribed steroids and antibiotics and did a chest x ray which was clear but I'm still having a ton of anxiety thinking I have lung cancer.

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General Lung/Thoracic Cancer

Reply # - September 26, 2023, 11:24 AM

JanineT GRACE …
Posts: 661
GRACE Community Outreach Team

Hi, I'm sorry you're having these issues.  The type of shoulder pain that feels like nerve pain is most likely nerve pain.  The type of tumor that causes similar shoulder pain doesn't normally cause a cough. 

 

A follow-up with your doctor is the best way to find out what's going on. 

 

Best of luck,

Janine

I joined GRACE as a caregiver for my husband who had a Pancoast tumor, NSCLC stage III in 2009. He had curative chemo/rads then it was believed he had a recurrence in the spine/oligometastasis that was radiated. He's 10 years out from treatment.

Reply # - September 26, 2023, 12:44 PM

Worried472
Posts: 2

Thank you so much for the response! I have seen a lot of your post on here and it's really awesome of you to take the time to reply to all these repetitive questions trying to make people feel better.

The cough and minor shortness of breath have me worried but I keep trying to tell myself it can be a lot of other things. My cough is getting worse even with the steroids and antibiotics though so that's not helping my anxiety. I know there is a chance something could have been caught on my chest xray too so trying to stay positive.

Thanks again!

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