Facial pain caused by cancer

Cancer is an ongoing global health crisis that claims millions of lives each year. Cancer is characterised by rogue cells that multiply in an uncontrolled manner, eventually conglomerating into tumours that may continue to invade neighbouring tissue. This ever-growing feature is what makes the condition so difficult to treat, but investigating suspicious symptoms early could make for a successful recovery.

The most feared form of the disease, lung cancer, does not cause any symptoms until it has spread, but some people with early lung cancer do have symptoms. One of these symptoms is constant pain in three parts of the face. Pain afflicts between 20 and 50 percent of cancer patients, according to researchers.

Where does the pain occur on the face?

Many of the cancer patients describe a constant, aching, and sometimes sharp pain. In some cases, it can be the first sign that appears. The pain is usually located in the ear and temporal region, and occasionally the jaw. In some reports, patients have described “attacks of debilitating facial pain”, presenting as cluster headaches. It may worsen when a person is lying down or raising both arms.

The researchers noted that pain can, on rare occasions, be the presenting symptoms of lung cancer. A 2018 case study describes the experience of one person who approached a dermatologist about swelling around the eyes and a feeling of swelling in the face and throat. Diagnostic tests showed that the person had small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Why does cancer cause facial pain?

According to researchers, facial pain in lung cancer can be developed due to a group of disorders that occur when cancer-fighting antibodies mistakenly attack normal cells in the nervous system. Alternatively, a tumour can exert pressure against the vena cava - the vessel leading to the face. Not only may this result in pain, but it may also cause pronounced swelling.

Facial pain could be symptomatic of several other types of cancer. Facial pain occurs in approximately 80 percent of patients with head and neck cancer.

Other symptoms of lung cancer

As lung cancer develops, a range of complications can occur, apart from facial pain and swelling. These include fluid around the lungs, infections, blood clots, high calcium levels, problems with the nervous system such as spinal cord compression, blockages in the airways or food pipe, tumors in other parts of the body, due to metastasis and mental health problems. If you go to your doctor when you first notice symptoms, your cancer might be diagnosed at an earlier stage, when treatment is more likely to be effective.