Blood and tissue cancers such as multiple myeloma, lymphoma, and melanoma can all cause lower back pain.
Radicular pain is nerve pain, which occurs when the cancer is pushing on a nerve in the spine. It can feel like an electric shock going down a limb or around the chest. Sciatica is the most well-known type. Radicular pain can be relieved by treating the tumor to stop it from compressing the nerve causing the pain.
Back pain is rarely a sign of cancer. When it is, it tends to happen along with other symptoms of cancer. Some cancers that cause back pain include spinal tumors, lung cancer, breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancers, and blood cancers. Undiagnosed skin cancer can also spread to the spine, causing back pain.
Pain at the site of the tumor due to tumor growth. Back pain, often radiating to other parts of your body. Back pain that's worse at night. Loss of sensation or muscle weakness, especially in your arms or legs.
When back pain is caused by a cancerous spinal tumor, it typically: Starts gradually and worsens over time. Does not improve with rest and may intensify at night. Flares up as a sharp or shock-like pain in the upper or lower back, which may also go into the legs, chest, or elsewhere in the body.
Lower back pain rarely occurs as a result of cancer. A person should see their doctor if their back pain is severe or persistent.
A common symptom of pancreatic cancer is a dull pain in the upper abdomen (belly) and/or middle or upper back that comes and goes. This is probably caused by a tumor that has formed in the body or tail of the pancreas because it can press on the spine.
Certain types of cancer are more likely to cause joint pain. Cancer that occurs near or in a joint, such as bone cancer and cancer that spreads to the bone, can cause joint pain. Lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and multiple myeloma are more likely to involve and spread to the bone.
Cancers that may appear in the stomach, colon, or rectum of the gastrointestinal tract can also produce back pain as one of their symptoms.
Multiple myeloma can cause pain in affected bones – usually the back, ribs or hips. The pain is frequently a persistent dull ache, which may be made worse by movement.
Tummy or back pain
Pain is more common in cancers of the body and tail of the pancreas. People describe it as a dull pain that feels like it is boring into you. It can begin in the tummy area and spread around to the back. The pain is worse when you lie down and is better if you sit forward.
Blood tests are not used to diagnose brain or spinal cord tumours. However, they are routinely done to provide a baseline before any planned treatment. They can provide helpful information about your general health, how other organs are functioning, other medical conditions and the possible risks of treatment.
Imaging test
Magnetic resonance imaging is both sensitive and specific in detecting cancer of the spine; Li and Poon14 reported a sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 97% for MRI in detecting malignant spinal cord compression in patients with known primary malignancy.
Primary spinal tumors are rare but are more likely to occur in adults between the ages of 65 and 74 and in children between the ages of 10 and 16.
Diagnosing a Spinal Tumor
Imaging occurs in a couple of different ways. These include: X-Rays: Although x-rays aren't the most reliable way to diagnose tumors, they provide an image of the bones in the spine. This can help to rule out fractures and some infections.
Most spinal cancer occurs inside the spinal column and usually doesn't affect the spinal cord. Some of the cancers that may involve the spine include: Osteosarcoma: a type of bone cancer that may originate in the spine but is more common in the thigh and shin bones.
A cancer can grow into,or begin to push on nearby organs, blood vessels, and nerves. This pressure causes some of the signs and symptoms of cancer. A cancer may also cause symptoms like fever, extreme tiredness (fatigue), or weight loss. This may be because cancer cells use up much of the body's energy supply.
In most situations, a biopsy is the only way to definitively diagnose cancer. In the laboratory, doctors look at cell samples under the microscope. Normal cells look uniform, with similar sizes and orderly organization. Cancer cells look less orderly, with varying sizes and without apparent organization.