help, over signs re pancoast/lung cancer?

Hi hope someone can offer advice before I pluck up courage to go see the doctor and request scans. Bit of background first. am 40 yr old male, smoked for 10 years stopping 6 years ago. Grand father died of lung cancer.  

Got a really bad violent cough, lots of wheezing, coughing stuff up etc 4 weeks ago and doc gave me inhaler and gradually recovered over next 2 weeks and pretty much stopped coughing now (although tickly occasinal cough yet to go completely). Given peak flow device was 350-400 but now 550-600.  However have noticed a pain in upper outer part of my arm and back of my neck with pain being much more acute if i tip my head back/to side to one particular spot. At other times my upper arm can seem to ache but someimes think its because i'm thinking about it as well. If not moving then no pain at all. No chest pains but have become very aware of this arm/shoulder/neck pain over last 2 weeks. Can it strike so sudden like this as can't put it down to anything else i have done?

Can anyone help with advice on this.

[HeinrikMD]

Hi,

There seems to be a temporal relationship with the cough. Try to observe if the symptom is associated with effort only, and that it generally is much improved after rest (such as it is better early in the morning and tends to exacerbate during the evenings). The pain associated with cancer tends to be more progressive, it can be episodic, but unlike muscle pain and fatigue – it wouldn’t improve with rest. The symptoms of cancer though tend to be non-specific (thus making early detection part of the reason why it is deadly), hence an examination by a doctor would be best. Stay positive.