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Tumors can cause muscle pain when they press on nerves, bones, muscles, blood vessels, or other organs in the body. This pain can be acute or chronic. Acute pain is typically severe, comes on quickly, and lasts a short time, usually going away as the injury heals. Chronic pain can come on quickly or slowly, ranging from mild to severe, and lasting for long periods of time. It can be caused by changes to the nerves due to cancer pressing on them or chemicals produced by a tumor. Soft tissue tumors may be initially misdiagnosed as muscle sprains, and they often cause no pain, leading to delayed diagnoses. However, when they do cause pain, it is usually because they are compressing a nerve or irritating other tissue.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cause of pain | Tumour pressing on nerves, bones, muscles, blood vessels or other organs |
| Type of pain | Acute or chronic |
| Acute pain | Severe, short-term pain due to injury |
| Chronic pain | Mild to severe, long-term pain lasting more than 3 months |
| Other causes of pain | Cancer treatment, e.g. chemotherapy, radiotherapy |
| Soft tissue tumours | Often misdiagnosed as muscle sprain, hematoma or old trauma |
| Tumour characteristics | Round or oval-shaped lump or bump, rapid growth suggests malignancy |
| Treatment | Painkillers, surgery, chemotherapy |
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What You'll Learn
Tumours pressing on nerves, bones or organs
Soft tissue tumours can grow around bones, muscles, blood vessels, nerves, and other structures, causing compression and changes in their function. This compression can lead to pain when the tumour presses on nerves, bones, or organs. For example, a tumour on a patient's hand could impede their ability to type, and a tumour pressing on a nerve could cause pain and reduce their activities. Depending on its location, a soft tissue tumour may also affect mobility and require surgical removal of the affected nerve or muscle, potentially compromising mobility further.
Some tumours may not cause any pain and can be misdiagnosed as muscle sprains, hematomas, or old traumas. Benign soft tissue tumours are often discovered by chance and are more common than cancerous tumours. However, even benign tumours should be monitored to ensure they do not transform into malignancies or grow large enough to cause fractures. Tumours in athletes, for instance, can be mistaken for sports-related aches and pains, but persistent pain and swelling that are unusual for the type of injury should prompt further evaluation.
The presence of a tumour can cause pain through compression or direct irritation of nerves, bones, or organs. This pain can vary in intensity and duration, and it may require ongoing management to minimise disruption to daily life. Effective pain management strategies can include medication, such as regular doses of painkillers or additional interventions for breakthrough pain. It is crucial for individuals experiencing pain that may be related to a tumour to consult a physician for evaluation and appropriate treatment.
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Soft tissue pain
Soft tissue injuries can result in pain, swelling, bruising, and damage. The most common symptom of soft tissue injuries is pain, often accompanied by swelling, which is a sign of inflammation and the body's response to injury. This swelling can add to the discomfort and, in some cases, lead to long-term complications.
Contusions, or bruises, are a type of soft tissue injury caused by broken blood vessels within the soft tissues, often due to a forceful blow. While they may not be visible, they can be extremely painful and take time to heal. If they do not heal completely, they can lead to complications.
Another example is tendonitis, which is inflammation and swelling in a tendon caused by overuse and repetitive strain. Chronic tendonitis can lead to destructive changes in the tendon, known as tendinopathy. Bursitis, or painful swelling of the bursae, can also occur due to too much stress from force or friction and is commonly seen in the elbows and knees.
Soft tissue tumors can also cause pain, especially when they compress nerves or irritate other tissues. These tumors can grow around bones, muscles, blood vessels, nerves, and other structures, impacting their function. The emergence of a mass is often the first symptom, and a rapid increase in size can suggest malignancy. However, soft tissue masses are often initially misdiagnosed or go unnoticed as they are often painless.
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Phantom pain
Tumors can cause muscle pain when they press on nerves, bones, or other organs. Soft tissue tumors, which affect muscles, can cause compression or change in function. They can also be misdiagnosed as muscle sprains, hematomas, or old traumas. However, soft tissue tumors often cause no pain and are sometimes discovered incidentally.
The exact cause of phantom pain is not fully understood, and multiple mechanisms are believed to be involved. One theory attributes it to irritation of severed nerve endings, supported by evidence that almost all amputation patients develop neuromas in the residual limb. Another theory suggests that the brain's thinking section understands that the body part is gone, but the feeling section cannot comprehend this. Spinal mechanisms, specifically changes in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, are also believed to play a role in phantom pain.
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Chemotherapy treatment pain
Tumours can cause muscle pain when they press on nerves, bones, or other organs in the body. This can be acute or chronic. Acute pain is due to damage caused by an injury and tends to last a short time, whereas chronic pain can last long after the injury or treatment is over and can range from mild to severe.
Chemotherapy treats many types of cancer effectively, but it often causes side effects, which differ for each person. Chemotherapy drugs are usually administered through an IV, and when the needle or catheter is put into the vein, some discomfort or pain may be felt. Some drugs may also cause a slight burning feeling when they are first administered into the vein. Chemotherapy can also cause a sore mouth and throat due to its effect on the fast-growing cells that make up their linings. This may lead to painful sores, ulcers, or infections in the mouth, throat, or gums.
Other side effects of chemotherapy include unusual pain, such as intense headaches, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. Chemotherapy can also affect your hearing; some drugs can damage the inner ear, causing hearing loss or tinnitus. In addition, chemotherapy can cause vaginal dryness if it induces menopause.
It is important to be aware of these possible side effects and to talk to your cancer care team about preventing and relieving them. They may be able to change your medicine or treatment schedule or suggest ways to reduce any pain and discomfort.
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Tumour growth rate and malignancy
Tumours can be benign or malignant (cancerous). Cancerous tumours are formed when DNA abnormalities cause a gene to behave differently than it should. Malignant tumours tend to grow faster than benign tumours. Malignant tumours are made up of cancer cells that can grow and divide to create more cells, eventually forming a tumour. As the tumour grows, it takes up more space and presses on the normal body tissue nearby. This can cause muscle pain on touch.
As the cancer grows, it squeezes and blocks small blood vessels in the area. Low blood and oxygen levels cause some of the normal tissue to die off, making it easier for the cancer to continue to push its way through. Cancer cells can break through the basement membrane, the layer of tissue that keeps cells inside. This is called invasive cancer.
To grow larger than a pinhead, tumours need to stimulate blood vessel growth. They do this by sending out signals called angiogenic factors, which encourage new blood vessels to grow into the tumour. This process is called angiogenesis. Cancer drugs called anti-angiogenic drugs can stop cancers from growing their own blood vessels, thereby shrinking or stopping the tumour's growth.
The growth rate of tumours can vary depending on their location and etiology. For example, soft tissue tumours can emerge as a lump or bump slowly or quickly in any part of the body. A rapid increase in the size of a mass suggests the possibility of malignancy. Similarly, some initially benign tumours can transform into malignant tumours, signalled by an abrupt increase in size. Most tumours are several years old by the time they are detectable, and they often start to metastasize before the primary tumour is detected.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, a tumour can cause muscle pain on touch. Tumours can grow around bones, muscles, blood vessels, nerves, and other structures, causing compression or change in function of those structures. This compression can lead to chronic pain that can range from mild to severe.
Chronic pain is pain that lasts for long periods of time, typically longer than 3 months. It can be caused by changes to the nerves due to cancer pressing on them or due to chemicals produced by a tumour.
Treatment options for chronic pain caused by a tumour can include pain medications, chemotherapy, and surgery. Pain medications can help manage the pain, while chemotherapy and surgery may be used to treat the tumour itself.
