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Does Mesothelioma Have a Relationship With Joint Pain?
Mesothelioma does not appear to have a direct connection to joint pain. However, some studies suggest that asbestos exposure — which raises the risk of mesothelioma — may also potentially trigger autoimmune conditions that include arthritis. Additionally, the high average age of mesothelioma diagnosis means that individuals are also likely to have joint pain, as well.
The rare cancer mesothelioma affects the mesothelial linings of certain internal organs[1]. A majority of mesothelioma cases originate along the lungs’ pleural mesothelial lining[2]. The malignancy can then metastasize to other organs. Other types of mesothelioma include peritoneal mesothelioma, which affects the peritoneum lining around the stomach, and pericardial mesothelioma, which affects the heart’s pericardium mesothelial lining.
Symptoms of mesothelioma can differ depending on where malignant tumors grow. Sufferers of pleural mesothelioma, for instance, are likely to feel chest pain, shortness of breath, and a feeling of lumps or bulges under the rib cage. They will also have a dry cough that sends shocks of pain through the body[3]. Peritoneal mesothelioma sufferers, on the other hand, are more likely to feel nausea, abdominal pain, and a feeling of abdominal swelling or bloatedness.
Notice that none of these conditions will have joint pain as a typical symptom. Few forms of cancer will have such a symptom, excepting bone cancer. Bone cancer symptoms include bone pain, joint pain, swelling and tenderness around the site of malignancy, fatigue, and weakened bones more likely to fracture[4]. Some lung cancers can also create what is known as “referred” shoulder pain, which originates in the chest but can be felt in the shoulders[5].
A few cases of mesothelioma with unusual presentations do note joint pain, however. One such case concerns a 67-year-old man who presented with respiratory symptoms, such as a phlegmy cough, along with dull pain in his wrist joints[6]. Over time, his joint pain worsened, and he developed a rare condition known as hypertrophic osteoarthropathy. Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy is characterized by finger clubbing combined with sensitivity at the hand joints and, sometimes, other joints[7].
Looking outside unusual mesothelioma cases, it is entirely possible for those with a mesothelioma diagnosis to also have a condition that leads to joint pain. The average age of a patient at the time they are diagnosed with mesothelioma is 72[8]. Coincidentally, older individuals have a higher risk of developing conditions that lead to joint pain, including arthritis[9].
What may not be a coincidence is the increased risk of developing arthritis after a history of occupational asbestos exposure. A few studies have noted this connection. One calculated that those who have a history of any asbestos exposure raised their risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis by 1.15 times[10]. This risk did not appear to increase with cumulative asbestos exposure.
Another study traced the incidence of autoimmune conditions and asbestos exposure, noting a wide swathe of examples that include human patient cases, lab animal cases, in vitro lab tissue examples, and other data[11]. Amphibole asbestos, which has a needle-like shape, appears to be most likely to trigger autoimmune conditions in certain studies in mice[12].
On top of these findings, many cancer patients complain of joint pain as a side effect of certain medications and chemotherapies[13]. Patients receiving hormonal therapy may also experience joint pain as a side effect[14]. Radiation therapy can likewise cause tissue damage that leads to joint pain[15].
In conclusion, mesothelioma by itself does not typically cause joint pain in the majority of presentations. Some patients may feel referred shoulder pain or pain in the joints related to clubbing. Others may develop joint pain if they opt for chemotherapy or radiation treatment. As for the rest of those suffering from both generalized joint pain and mesothelioma, the two conditions may either be related to asbestos exposure or simply a coincidence that is related to age.
[1] https://medlineplus.gov/mesothelioma.html
[2] https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/mesothelioma/introduction
[3] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mesothelioma/symptoms-causes/syc-20375022
[4] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bone-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20350217
[5] https://www.verywellhealth.com/shoulder-pain-and-lung-cancer-2249407
[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5093163/
[7] https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/333735-overview
[8] https://www.cancer.org/cancer/malignant-mesothelioma/about/key-statistics.html
[9] https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/risk-factors.htm
[10] https://ard.bmj.com/content/76/Suppl_2/248.2
[11] https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ad/2014/782045/
[12] https://cen.acs.org/content/cen/articles/94/i47/Cancer-causing-asbestos-trigger-autoimmune.html
[13] https://www.cancer.net/survivorship/long-term-side-effects-cancer-treatment
[14] https://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/side_effects/bone_joint_pain
[15] https://www.curetoday.com/publications/cure/2011/winter2011/managing-cancer-related-joint-pain
