Chest or Breast Pain

Hi All
About 10 days ago, a pain came up suddenly in my chest (breast?).  Basically the pain/discomfort came up quite suddenly and I was merely sitted comfortably.  Right hand side, quite localised, breast area, 3 inches to the left of my right nipple (not quite stenum area) and 1 inch up.  The pain feels like it is external (I am not certain though as pain/discomfort is hard to describe!), like after someone has hit me in that spot. My movement of the right arm/hand is not restricted. I cannot feel any lumps or swellings.

After 10 days, the discomfort is still there.  Went to the doctor the 2nd day, and he gave me some Fastum gel to rub on it and some anti-inflammatory pills to take. He believes it is muscular because he says my breathing was ok and no other symptoms. Unfortunately it did not help as the pain and discomfort is still there. It has not gone worse but still there.

Should I get an Xray done? Xray taken 2 1/2 years ago was ok. Lung cancer marker in blood test done 3 months ago also in normal range. What are the early symptoms for lung cancer? I am male, 56 next birthday. Non smoker but smoked for 1 year at University about 38 years ago.

[Fernando Roque, MD]

Hi.  The pain you are experiencing is not a specific symptom for lung cancer.  At its early stages, lung cancer may not actually have any symptoms, although some complain of a long standing cough and unexplained weight loss.  Lung cancer is usually detected by the presence of a mass on chest x-ray or CT scan, and confirmed by a biopsy of the mass.  There is no serum marker which reliably detects lung cancer in previously undiagnosed persons at this time.  

I suppose it's reasonable to have the chest x-ray done.  The pain you're experiencing may be pleuritic pain, which can occur when there is inflammation or infection (e.g. pneumonia) in the lungs or pleura.  Doing the chest x-ray is a good way to investigate this possibility.