Q. Is back pain a common sign of lung cancer?

Hello doctor,

I am a 31 year old male, and I have back pain. I wanted to know about the possible association of back pain with lung cancer. I have been a smoker for the past 12 years. My daily consumption is about 6 to 10 cigarettes. I do not consume alcohol, and I do not chew tobacco and have no other addiction. I normally have home-cooked meals except lunch, and my diet includes some amount of vegetables almost every day and fruits at times. I hardly consume red meat and my consumption of spicy and oily food is limited to about once a week. I am overweight (113 kg and 6 feet tall). I do not exercise as such, but I normally walk about a kilometer or more every day.

I have been experiencing non-specific back pain (mostly upper back) since last year. My GP asked me to get a vitamin D test, and my result was 12.5. I was prescribed Uprise D3 60K once a week for three months, which I took as prescribed. For the last 7 to 10 days, I have been experiencing occasional mild back pain. The pain is not constant and not severe. Most of the times it occurs around the center of the back, slightly towards the right. And at times, it occurs at lower back. Sometimes, it occurs on the side, very rarely on the chest and near the right collarbone. I have no cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, weight loss, and loss of appetite. I do not feel any pain or anything unusual while inhaling deeply. The back pain, if present, is not worse during the night or while lying down.

I have had mild throat irritation for the past two weeks, which an ENT specialist checked and said is due to mucus dripping from the back of my nose into the throat. I have sinusitis. He prescribed me Lasma AB once a day for seven days, which I took and now the throat irritation is better, almost normal. I have been reading a lot on the net about back pain as an early sign of lung cancer, and it really scared me. Is back pain a common sign of lung cancer? If yes, what stage does it usually occur? Can only back pain occur with no other symptoms if it is lung cancer, or it is typically accompanied by other symptoms? What are the chances of my getting lung cancer, given the age and the history stated above? Thank you.

Hi doctor,

Thank you so much for the prompt and valued response. How much does a family history of lung cancer matter? There is no instance of lung cancer in my immediate family in the past couple of generations. However, around 15 years ago, my father had sarcoidosis, which was cured with steroids, though he never smoked.