AIBU to think that his shoulder pain is cancer?

[user0786]

Hi everyone,

Just worried sick about my dad who has had pain in his shoulder for around a year. It wasnt that bad to begin with and he just ignored it as he's the type to just get in with things.
It's now really painful. He had an ultrasound yesterday and the lady doing the US was measuring something. He asked her what and she said bone. I can't help but think that she was measuring an abnormal growth. 

He gets pain in his shoulder and arm. He also feels quite tired most days too. He's 63 but he is a heart patient who has stents and that impacted his health along with getting Covid a few months ago too. I can't help but worry if the tiredness is related to some sort of shoulder cancer? 

The US was only yesterday but it feels like it's been days. Still waiting to hear back.

The shoulder is an extremely complicated and annoying joint and can go wrong in about 10 million ways that are far more likely than cancer

it could be something like rotator cuff shoulder which I have this can then trigger iff things like spondylitis etc

Can you describe exactly where the pain is and what it’s like?

sorry to jump on.. but I’m 30 and have weird ache/throbbing pain in my shoulder blade that comes and goes. Lasts a few weeks at the time.,
Sometimes I can feel it down my arm.
I try to get my other half to massage it out and it’s like gristle..

i went to physio after being referred.. she said nothing to worry about.. but I’m really not sure!!

reLly hope your dad is ok.. I understand the worry.. cancer crossed my mind with my pain too., but I’m a real worrier

I have rheumatoid arthritis although now medicated and in remission thank god.

In answer to your question "is arthritis painful"

It is like having multiple broken bones. It comes with not only pain but becoming immobile sometimes. The worst flare I ever had affected almost every joint in my body and if the flat had caught fire I'd have burnt to death because I was unable to move.

For context on my paint threshold I trained Muay Thai for many years and flight competitively. Noone hit me hard enough to ever come close to arthritis pain.

So yes. Arthritis hurts!

*pain threshold

There are a few cancers that can cause shoulder pain, however there's no reason to think it's cancer , as pp have said there are plenty of things that cause shoulder pain that are more likely than cancer . I hope you get some answers soon 💐

I've got everything crossed that it's not cancer. Worried sick. Been crying a lot. I know it sounds a bit dramatic but he is the only parent that I have a secure relationship with. Subconsciously my brain keeps telling me to prepare for the worst as the shock in the moment will be too much. But this thread does give me some hope. But then again, I feel like I should prepare for the worst and not be disappointed.

I've got arthritis in my collar bone. Have learnt to manage it now but at its worst the pain was indescribable. Also kept me awake at night so always tired.
Hope you get some answers.

Op, my mum died. So I only have my dad. I know how scary it is for me, when he is unwell and he is the only one left.

But it’s far more likely to be one of a hundred things and not cancer.

Is this level of upset a one off? Do you often feel very anxious for him? Is it worth seeking some outside support for you?

I've had lots of ultrasounds they always measure something in them!
Try not to worry i hope your dad will be OK

I've had arthritis since childhood. Ironically a steroid injection in my hip a couple of weeks ago has led to a shoulder flare up.

Very much like the pain you mention - really hurts to lift it up so putting on a top and driving have been excruciating. The pain also wears you down, you don't sleep as well and you become tired.

As the other poster mentioned, bone spurs are common (for arthritis sufferers) and could be measured. I have spurs all round my hip sockets.

Try not to worry and think the worst. I mean this kindly but it sounds as if you've put 2 and 2 together and perhaps made 5. It's hard but wait for the results before assuming it's something sinister.

Sounds more like arthritis or a frozen shoulder to me. I had a frozen should and it’s agony - I could barely move my arm at its worst. I had ultrasounds on it and they took various measurements from that to check for bone spurs etc. And I was tired all the time because it was hard to get comfortable in bed and the pain woke me up a lot. Plus being in pain is depressing anyway and low mood often manifests as physical fatigue. So I wouldn’t even be considering cancer as a cause of your dad’s pain. They also don’t tend to make up lies if you ask the radiographer what they’re measuring; they wouldn’t have said ‘bone’ if it had been something else. They’d have been more non-commital.

Try not to worry. It will be fine.

Hi All,

So I contacted his GP surgery and spoke to the receptionist. I asked if the results are back and if it's anything serious. She said they're back and that the doctor will call tomorrow. She said it says not urgent and doesn't say anything about cancer.

Feel somewhat relieved but still scared what he'll say tomorrow
Fingers crossed