Early Detection of Pancoast Tumors Seen on X-rays of Neck and Shoulder

Sometimes neck and shoulder pain occurs, but there's nothing wrong with the neck or shoulder. Heart attack, bleeding ulcers, and lung cancer are just a few problems that can cause pain in the neck and shoulder. Other symptoms can occur as well. These "extra" symptoms occur in situations when the tumors go beyond the lungs. The tumors then put pressure on the nearby nerves, ribs, diaphragm, or vertebrae.

In this report doctors show how standard chest and neck X-rays can be used to find Pancoast tumors early. Pancoast tumors occur in the upper part of the lung lobes. This form of lung cancer is hard to detect early. Patients often have vague symptoms that are mistaken for arthritis of the neck and shoulder or a frozen shoulder of unknown cause.

Even when an X-ray is taken, the doctor may not see early changes on X-rays unless he or she is aware of this problem. The authors of this report point out an important X-ray finding of Pancoast tumor: air in the lungs being separated from the first rib. There's also a higher pulmonary air density seen around the tumor.

This is the first report to show the importance of X-rays in finding Pancoast tumors. Doctors must know what to look for and screen neck and shoulder pain patients appropriately.