Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBack Pain and CancerSpinal TumorOther CancersWhat Does Cancer-Related Back Pain Feel Like?When to See a DoctorDiagnosis
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Back Pain and Cancer
Spinal Tumor
Other Cancers
What Does Cancer-Related Back Pain Feel Like?
When to See a Doctor
Diagnosis
Lower back pain is one of the most common reasons for people to see their primary healthcare provider.In rare cases,lower back painmay be a symptom of a spinal tumor, or it’s related to other cancers including lung, breast, blood, andgastrointestinal cancers(like colon cancer).
This article explains symptoms of lower back pain that may be associated with cancer. It will help you to better understand when you need to see a healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment.
Verywell / Laura Porter
Back Pain and Cancer Statistics
Key Facts on Back Pain and Cancer
Primaryspinal tumorsare rare. These are abnormal masses that grow within or around thespinal cordorspinal column. These tumors can be malignant or benign.A malignant tumor is cancerous, and a benign tumor is noncancerous. Both types can cause pain in the back.
If a spinal tumor is suspected, your healthcare provider will:
Other tests may include blood tests or abiopsyof the area if this can be done safely.
Types of Spinal Tumors
Intramedullary tumors:Anintramedullarytumor grows inside the spinal cord. These tumors account for 20% to 30% of all primary spinal cord tumors.They most often cause back pain that gets worse when you lie down. They can also cause numbness or tingling.
Extramedullary tumors:Anextramedullarytumor is found outside of the spinal cord itself. They grow inside the thin sac that holds the spinal cord. These tumors often develop in thenerve rootsthat extend from the spinal cord.The most common symptom is back pain at night or pain that radiates to the arm or leg.
Spinal tumors can occur inside or outside of the spinal cord. Back pain with these tumors tends to get worse when you lie down and/or radiates to your arm or leg.
What to Know About Breakthrough Pain
Other Symptoms
Back pain may be one of the primary symptoms of a spinal tumor, but other symptoms can also occur. If you have any of the following symptoms with back pain, see your healthcare provider:
Causes of Back Pain and Treatment Options
Causes and Risks
There is no known direct cause of spinal cancer. There are, however, several genetic factors that can raise your risk of developing spinal tumors. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have any of the following genetic diseases and you develop back pain:
The risk for spinal cancer goes up if you have had anothertype of cancer. Spinal tumors of the bone can happen when other cancers, likeovarian cancerorprostate cancer, spread. Thismetastaticcancer spread occurs in an estimated 30% of people who have cancer.
Lower back pain and cancer are rarely linked. But you are at higher risk for spinal cancer if you have certain genetic diseases or you have previously had another kind of cancer.
Complications
An untreated spinal tumor can grow and affect many structures in the area, including:
This growth could lead to:
If you think you might have a spinal tumor, it is important to see a healthcare provider right away. Spinal tumors can be removed surgically. They can also be treated with chemotherapy or radiation to reduce their size and impact.
Surgery carries risks of its own, such as infection or nerve damage. Your provider will evaluate the location, size, and type of tumor to determine if surgery is the right treatment.
An untreated spinal tumor can cause problems like paralysis and loss of bladder of bowel function. Surgery or chemotherapy can help limit the impact of these tumors.
Other Types of Cancer With Back Pain
Primary spinal tumors are a rare and very uncommon cause of back pain. Other cancers, however, can also cause back pain.
Lung Cancer
Worldwide,lung canceris a leading cancer diagnosis and the leading cause of cancer death.It affects the lungs but can also spread to other parts of the body. Lung cancer will spread in 30% to 40% of the people diagnosed. The vertebrae of the spine is the most common site of lung cancer spread.
Back pain that occurs with a lung cancer diagnosisshould be evaluated right away. If you have back pain with any of the symptoms listed below, see your healthcare provider at once:
Breast Cancer
Breast canceroccurs when abnormal cells in the breast grow out of control.Breast cancer is often found due to a lump. However, there are cases where back pain can be the first sign of breast cancer.
Most of the time, patients will have back pain along with some of the more common breast cancer symptoms.If you have back pain with any of these symptoms, see your healthcare provider right away:
Breast Cancer Signs and Symptoms
Back pain that is related to lung or breast cancer usually happens along with other symptoms. For lung cancer, this can include chronic respiratory problems like coughing and chest pain. For breast cancer, this may include pain and/or visible changes in breast tissue.
Gastrointestinal Cancers
Gastrointestinal cancers include:
Gastrointestinal cancers that may cause back pain include stomach, colon, and rectal. Again, back pain tends to occur alongside other common symptoms.
Melanoma
Melanomasymptomsinclude:
When melanoma causes back pain, it is usually because it has spread to the spine. Thus, it is important to have regular skin exams so you can catch melanoma in the early stages.
Hematological (Blood) Cancers
Blood cancers include:
Blood cancers affect the bone marrow. Rarely, they can present with back pain as the only symptom.Other blood cancer symptoms include:
Rarely, back pain can be the only symptom of blood cancers like lymphoma and leukemia.
Cancer-related back pain often flares-up in the upper or lower back and may shoot into legs, chest, or other body parts. The flares are often described as sharp or shock-like.
Keep in mind that in most cases, there will be other signs of cancer, such as unintended weight loss, nausea, fever, and other new or unusual symptoms.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
With home care, most back pain resolves over a few weeks.If you have unexplained back pain or pain that goes on longer than six weeks, it is best to seek the advice of a healthcare provider.
Seek care right away if you have back pain along with any of the following other symptoms:
These symptoms can point to a more serious problem.
Most back pain can be treated at home. If your pain doesn’t go away after a few weeks of home care, see your healthcare provider.
Diagnosing the Cause of Back Pain
Living with back pain can be very difficult. The pain can interfere with walking, sleeping, exercise, or your work. It is always a good idea to see a healthcare provider if your pain doesn’t go away on its own.
Common causes of back pain include:
Healthcare Provider Exam
To diagnose your back pain, your healthcare provider will do a variety of tests. First, they will take a complete history and ask how the pain affects your life. A physical exam to test and assess your range of motion and strength will help with a diagnosis.
Most often you will be treated with things like:
Most low back pain can be treated conservatively, without surgery.
Response to Other Treatments
If these treatments don’t work and your healthcare provider suspects there is another cause of your back pain, you may need more tests. These can include:
Your provider will decide which test to order based on your symptoms, medical history, and physical examination.
The goal of treatment is to restore function and increase strength so you can return to your daily activities with little to no pain. If the pain does not respond to treatment, surgery may be required. This is usually necessary if there is disc herniation or other structural damage.
Summary
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.
See a healthcare provider if you have back pain that doesn’t go away after treatment at home. You should also see them if your back pain occurs with symptoms that can indicate cancer. If you have a history of cancer and have new back pain, talk to your provider immediately, as it can be a sign that thecancer has spread.
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29 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Low back pain fact sheet.Nicol A, Adams M, Gordon D, Mirza S, Dickerson D, Mackey S,et al.AAAPT Diagnostic Criteria for Acute Low Back Pain with and Without Lower Extremity Pain.Pain Med. 2020 Nov 1;21(11):2661-2675. doi:10.1093/pm/pnaa239.Casiano VE, Dydyk AM, Varacallo M.Back pain. In:StatPearls [Internet].Treasure Island, Fla: StatPearls Publishing; 2021.American Cancer Society.Key statistics for brain and spinal cord tumors.Downie A, Williams CM, Henschke N, et al.Red flags to screen for malignancy and fracture in patients with low back pain: systematic review.BMJ. 2013;347:f7095. doi:10.1136/bmj.f7095American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Spinal tumors – types, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Brain and spinal tumors information page.Samartzis D, Gillis CC, Shih P, O’Toole JE, Fessler RG.Intramedullary spinal cord tumors: part I-epidemiology, pathophysiology, and diagnosis.Global Spine J. 2015;5(5):425-435. doi:10.1055/s-0035-1549029Olex-Zarychta D.Clinical significance of pain in differential diagnosis between spinal meningioma and schwannoma. In:Case Reports in Oncological Medicine. 2020. doi:10.1155/2020/7947242American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of adult brain and spinal cord tumors.American Cancer Society.Risk factors for brain and spinal cord tumors.Zhang D, Fan W, Zhao X, Massicotte EM, Fan T.Long-level intramedullary spinal cord astrocytoma complicated with spine scoliosis: Report of two cases.Int J Surg Case Rep. 2021 Feb;79:234-238. doi:10.1016/j.ijscr.2021.01.035.Li J, Wei W, Xu F, Wang Y, Liu Y, Fu C.Clinical Therapy of Metastatic Spinal Tumors.Front Surg. 2021 Apr 15;8:626873. doi: 10.3389/fsurg.2021.626873.World Health Organization.Cancer.Vasser M, Koroscil M.When back pain turns deadly: an unusual presentation of lung cancer.Respir Med Case Rep. 2020;29:101009. doi:10.1016/j.rmcr.2020.101009American Cancer Society.Lung cancer signs & symptoms.National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.Breast cancer.Koo MM, von Wagner C, Abel GA, McPhail S, Rubin GP, Lyratzopoulos G.Typical and atypical presenting symptoms of breast cancer and their associations with diagnostic intervals: evidence from a national audit of cancer diagnosis.Cancer Epidemiol. 2017;48:140-146. doi:10.1016/j.canep.2017.04.010American Cancer Society.Breast cancer signs and symptoms.Padhi P, Mackey C.Spine and scapular pain: an unusual presentation of colon adenocarcinoma.BMJ Case Rep. 2013;2013:bcr2013010239. doi:10.1136/bcr-2013-010239American Cancer Society.Colorectal cancer signs and symptoms.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of stomach cancer.Zekri J, Marples M, Taylor D, Kandukurti K, McParland L, Brown JE.Complications of bone metastases from malignant melanoma.J Bone Oncol. 2017;8:13-17. doi:10.1016/j.jbo.2017.08.003American Cancer Society.Signs of melanoma skin cancer.Garg G, Chawla N, Gogia A, Kakar A.Low backache in adults as an initial presentation of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.J Family Med Prim Care. 2017;6(2):434-436. doi:10.4103/2249-4863.220014Shephard EA, Neal RD, Rose PW, Walter FM, Hamilton W.Symptoms of adult chronic and acute leukaemia before diagnosis: large primary care case-control studies using electronic records.Br J Gen Pract. 2016;66(644):e182-e188. doi:10.3399/bjgp16X683989Veritas Health.Could my back pain be spine cancer?.American Academy of Family Physicians.Diagnosis and treatment of acute low back pain.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Herniated disc.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Low back pain fact sheet.Nicol A, Adams M, Gordon D, Mirza S, Dickerson D, Mackey S,et al.AAAPT Diagnostic Criteria for Acute Low Back Pain with and Without Lower Extremity Pain.Pain Med. 2020 Nov 1;21(11):2661-2675. doi:10.1093/pm/pnaa239.Casiano VE, Dydyk AM, Varacallo M.Back pain. In:StatPearls [Internet].Treasure Island, Fla: StatPearls Publishing; 2021.American Cancer Society.Key statistics for brain and spinal cord tumors.Downie A, Williams CM, Henschke N, et al.Red flags to screen for malignancy and fracture in patients with low back pain: systematic review.BMJ. 2013;347:f7095. doi:10.1136/bmj.f7095American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Spinal tumors – types, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Brain and spinal tumors information page.Samartzis D, Gillis CC, Shih P, O’Toole JE, Fessler RG.Intramedullary spinal cord tumors: part I-epidemiology, pathophysiology, and diagnosis.Global Spine J. 2015;5(5):425-435. doi:10.1055/s-0035-1549029Olex-Zarychta D.Clinical significance of pain in differential diagnosis between spinal meningioma and schwannoma. In:Case Reports in Oncological Medicine. 2020. doi:10.1155/2020/7947242American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of adult brain and spinal cord tumors.American Cancer Society.Risk factors for brain and spinal cord tumors.Zhang D, Fan W, Zhao X, Massicotte EM, Fan T.Long-level intramedullary spinal cord astrocytoma complicated with spine scoliosis: Report of two cases.Int J Surg Case Rep. 2021 Feb;79:234-238. doi:10.1016/j.ijscr.2021.01.035.Li J, Wei W, Xu F, Wang Y, Liu Y, Fu C.Clinical Therapy of Metastatic Spinal Tumors.Front Surg. 2021 Apr 15;8:626873. doi: 10.3389/fsurg.2021.626873.World Health Organization.Cancer.Vasser M, Koroscil M.When back pain turns deadly: an unusual presentation of lung cancer.Respir Med Case Rep. 2020;29:101009. doi:10.1016/j.rmcr.2020.101009American Cancer Society.Lung cancer signs & symptoms.National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.Breast cancer.Koo MM, von Wagner C, Abel GA, McPhail S, Rubin GP, Lyratzopoulos G.Typical and atypical presenting symptoms of breast cancer and their associations with diagnostic intervals: evidence from a national audit of cancer diagnosis.Cancer Epidemiol. 2017;48:140-146. doi:10.1016/j.canep.2017.04.010American Cancer Society.Breast cancer signs and symptoms.Padhi P, Mackey C.Spine and scapular pain: an unusual presentation of colon adenocarcinoma.BMJ Case Rep. 2013;2013:bcr2013010239. doi:10.1136/bcr-2013-010239American Cancer Society.Colorectal cancer signs and symptoms.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of stomach cancer.Zekri J, Marples M, Taylor D, Kandukurti K, McParland L, Brown JE.Complications of bone metastases from malignant melanoma.J Bone Oncol. 2017;8:13-17. doi:10.1016/j.jbo.2017.08.003American Cancer Society.Signs of melanoma skin cancer.Garg G, Chawla N, Gogia A, Kakar A.Low backache in adults as an initial presentation of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.J Family Med Prim Care. 2017;6(2):434-436. doi:10.4103/2249-4863.220014Shephard EA, Neal RD, Rose PW, Walter FM, Hamilton W.Symptoms of adult chronic and acute leukaemia before diagnosis: large primary care case-control studies using electronic records.Br J Gen Pract. 2016;66(644):e182-e188. doi:10.3399/bjgp16X683989Veritas Health.Could my back pain be spine cancer?.American Academy of Family Physicians.Diagnosis and treatment of acute low back pain.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Herniated disc.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Low back pain fact sheet.
Nicol A, Adams M, Gordon D, Mirza S, Dickerson D, Mackey S,et al.AAAPT Diagnostic Criteria for Acute Low Back Pain with and Without Lower Extremity Pain.Pain Med. 2020 Nov 1;21(11):2661-2675. doi:10.1093/pm/pnaa239.
Casiano VE, Dydyk AM, Varacallo M.Back pain. In:StatPearls [Internet].Treasure Island, Fla: StatPearls Publishing; 2021.
American Cancer Society.Key statistics for brain and spinal cord tumors.
Downie A, Williams CM, Henschke N, et al.Red flags to screen for malignancy and fracture in patients with low back pain: systematic review.BMJ. 2013;347:f7095. doi:10.1136/bmj.f7095
American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Spinal tumors – types, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Brain and spinal tumors information page.
Samartzis D, Gillis CC, Shih P, O’Toole JE, Fessler RG.Intramedullary spinal cord tumors: part I-epidemiology, pathophysiology, and diagnosis.Global Spine J. 2015;5(5):425-435. doi:10.1055/s-0035-1549029
Olex-Zarychta D.Clinical significance of pain in differential diagnosis between spinal meningioma and schwannoma. In:Case Reports in Oncological Medicine. 2020. doi:10.1155/2020/7947242
American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of adult brain and spinal cord tumors.
American Cancer Society.Risk factors for brain and spinal cord tumors.
Zhang D, Fan W, Zhao X, Massicotte EM, Fan T.Long-level intramedullary spinal cord astrocytoma complicated with spine scoliosis: Report of two cases.Int J Surg Case Rep. 2021 Feb;79:234-238. doi:10.1016/j.ijscr.2021.01.035.
Li J, Wei W, Xu F, Wang Y, Liu Y, Fu C.Clinical Therapy of Metastatic Spinal Tumors.Front Surg. 2021 Apr 15;8:626873. doi: 10.3389/fsurg.2021.626873.
World Health Organization.Cancer.
Vasser M, Koroscil M.When back pain turns deadly: an unusual presentation of lung cancer.Respir Med Case Rep. 2020;29:101009. doi:10.1016/j.rmcr.2020.101009
American Cancer Society.Lung cancer signs & symptoms.
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.Breast cancer.
Koo MM, von Wagner C, Abel GA, McPhail S, Rubin GP, Lyratzopoulos G.Typical and atypical presenting symptoms of breast cancer and their associations with diagnostic intervals: evidence from a national audit of cancer diagnosis.Cancer Epidemiol. 2017;48:140-146. doi:10.1016/j.canep.2017.04.010
American Cancer Society.Breast cancer signs and symptoms.
Padhi P, Mackey C.Spine and scapular pain: an unusual presentation of colon adenocarcinoma.BMJ Case Rep. 2013;2013:bcr2013010239. doi:10.1136/bcr-2013-010239
American Cancer Society.Colorectal cancer signs and symptoms.
American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of stomach cancer.
Zekri J, Marples M, Taylor D, Kandukurti K, McParland L, Brown JE.Complications of bone metastases from malignant melanoma.J Bone Oncol. 2017;8:13-17. doi:10.1016/j.jbo.2017.08.003
American Cancer Society.Signs of melanoma skin cancer.
Garg G, Chawla N, Gogia A, Kakar A.Low backache in adults as an initial presentation of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.J Family Med Prim Care. 2017;6(2):434-436. doi:10.4103/2249-4863.220014
Shephard EA, Neal RD, Rose PW, Walter FM, Hamilton W.Symptoms of adult chronic and acute leukaemia before diagnosis: large primary care case-control studies using electronic records.Br J Gen Pract. 2016;66(644):e182-e188. doi:10.3399/bjgp16X683989
Veritas Health.Could my back pain be spine cancer?.
American Academy of Family Physicians.Diagnosis and treatment of acute low back pain.
American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Herniated disc.
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