Pancoast

AmazingGrace
Posts:2

I am tech illiterate. I posted somewhere else on here and then saw this forum. I will post again, being I can’t find my original post.
For two weeks now, I have been awakened in the night with intense (scale 1-10, a10) right shoulder (shoulder, front and back shoulder blade, collarbone, arm pain going all the way down to hand. Once I start my day all is well, other than being exhausted from lack of sleep. I do have pinched nerves that have caused numbness and tingling in hands and fingers for years. I go to the chiropractor on average of twice a week. He thought I may have an rotary cup injury. However, he had me do a series of arm tests. I showed no pain or weakness. Per googling, lol, I came across Pancoast tumor. You seem to be very knowledgeable in this area. In your professional opinion should I seek further medical attention, if so could you point me in a direction?
Thank You

JanineT GRACE …
Posts: 637
GRACE Community Outreach Team

Hi and welcome to Grace. I'm so sorry you're having this pain. Just to let you know I see this post and will respond ASAP.

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.

JanineT GRACE …
Posts: 637
GRACE Community Outreach Team

Hi, sorry for the delay. I'm not a medical professional but as a teaching professional I'd say seeking medical attention for new pain is absolutely appropriate. Hopefully, you'll find a much less serious reason for the pain. The odds are immensely low that you have a pancoast tumor. Many people come across this possibility because it sounds a lot like so many orthopedic issues that happen all the time in the shoulder and neck area. I have had pain in my neck (and not just my neighbor) since I was a little girl. It's changed over the years from causing sharp pains to a stiff neck then started moving down my arms. Depending on how well I keep up with appropriate exercise it can get worse than it has to be. On the other end of the spectrum, my husband did have a pancoast tumor that at first I thought must be something like what I have. So yes, I get why people come across pancoast tumors when looking for the reason for the pain.  Your doctor will look for other more probable reasons first as is the appropriate method of diagnosis. 

 

I hope you get this figured out soon.

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.

AmazingGrace
Posts: 2

Thank You Janine