Doctor urges not to ignore shoulder pain 0 172

In lung cancer, cough and chest pain do not appear immediately, said oncologist James Wilson. He identified a non-obvious symptom of this disease that arises long before a diagnosis is made in an interview with Daily Mail.

Wilson explained that there are virtually no nerve fibers in the lung tissue, so cancer can progress unnoticed until it spreads to the nerves and other organs. He clarified that a network of nerves is present in the membrane surrounding the lungs, which is why pain occurs if the tumor reaches it or is at the edge of the organ.

However, according to the oncologist, painful sensations indicating lung cancer may not be in the chest but in the shoulder area. This usually happens when the tumor irritates the diaphragm. "The nerves that go to the diaphragm originate near the neck and pass through the shoulder. The brain simply cannot correctly interpret the source of the pain," the doctor explained. He added that the spread of cancer to the lymph nodes can also cause shoulder pain. However, Wilson emphasized that painful sensations occur at later stages, and for early detection of the disease, he urged regular medical check-ups.