User:Mr. Ibrahem/Pancoast tumor

Pancoast tumor
Other names	Pulmonary sulcus tumor, superior sulcus tumor, Pancoast syndrome
Chest radiograph showing a Pancoast tumor (labeled as P, non-small cell lung carcinoma, right lung), from a 47-year-old female smoker.
Specialty	Oncology
Symptoms	One sided shoulder pain, arm numbness, large pupil, dropping of the upper eyelid, shinkage of muscles in the hand
Causes	Lung cancer, infection abscess
Diagnostic method	Medical imaging, tissue biopsy
Treatment	Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery
Frequency	4% of lung cancers

A Pancoast tumor is a cancer that begins in the upper part of the lung. It often spreads to nearby tissues such as the ribs and vertebrae. Symptoms on the affected side may include shoulder pain, arm numbness, large pupil, dropping of the upper eyelid, and shinkage of muscles in the hand. Later in the course of the disease shortness of breath may occur.

More than 95% of Pancoast tumors are non-small cell lung cancers, with most of the rest being small cell lung cancer. Uncommonly it may occur as a result of thyroid cancer, lymphoma, or metastasis. An upper lung abscess may also cause similar symptoms. The underlying mechanism involves compression or invasion of structures in the area. Diagnosis is by medical imaging and tissue biopsy.

Treatment generally involves chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. Pancoast tumors represent about 4% of lung cancers. It was first described in 1838 by Edward Hare and is named after Henry Pancoast, an American radiologist, who described the condition in 1924.