Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 3, 2026
Author Spotlight: Exploring the Role of Inflammation in the Co-occurrence of Primary Sjogren's Syndrome and Lung Adenocarcinoma
Published on: September 20, 2024
Post-chemotherapy arthralgia and arthritis in lung cancer
Aref H Amiri1, Soleiman Jaferian2
1Department of Rheumatology, Imam Khomeini hospital, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
Objective:
Evaluate the characteristics of arthritis, arthralgia and musculoskeletal pain after chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer.
Materials And Methods:
In this study, we evaluate the characteristics of 17 patients with joint symptoms following receiving chemotherapy for lung cancer. Demographic information of patients including sex, age, time of rheumatologic findings after starting of chemotherapy, time of improvement after starting of medication, and relevant laboratory findings for each patient.
Results:
A total of seventeen patients (six women with mean age 41.2 ± 5.2 years and 11 men with mean age 42.5 ± 8.2) that received standard chemotherapy for lung cancer according to stage of disease. Joint symptoms usually began about seven months after the first session of chemotherapy. Patients had an average of two tender joints and 1 hr of morning stiffness. Four patients were positive for anti-nuclear antibody, and none of patient was positive for rheumatoid factor. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARD), corticosteroids, and venlafaxine were prescribed. Four patients did not show an improvement. Follow-up was available for all patients. 11 patients showed favorable responses, characterized by a significant decrease (more than 50%) in morning stiffness, pain, and tender joint counts after a mean of three months' treatment. Two patients had complete resolution of symptoms and did not required further medications for arthritis, arthralgia or musculoskeletal pain.
Conclusion:
Chemotherapy-related arthropathy in lung cancer is not uncommon. Early treatment with NSAID, DMARD, and corticosteroids is effective in the majority of patients.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Other Pulmonary Disorders
01:25Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-III: Symptoms and Complications.
Symptoms of COPD can be classified as primary or systemic. Primary symptoms relate to reduced airflow, while systemic or extrapulmonary symptoms relate to COPD's broader impact on the body.
Primary Symptoms of COPD:
01:30Radiological Investigation II: MRI and Ventilation Perfusion Scan
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Ventilation Perfusion Scans are two radiological investigations that offer detailed diagnostic images of the body, particularly lung structures.
MRI
MRI uses magnetic fields and radiofrequency signals to distinguish between normal and abnormal tissues. This technology provides a more detailed diagnostic image than CT scans, enabling it to characterize pulmonary nodules, stage bronchogenic carcinoma, and evaluate inflammatory activity in...
01:13Radiological Investigation III: Pulmonary Angiogram and PET Scan
Pulmonary Angiogram
A Pulmonary Angiogram is an invasive procedure involving injecting a contrast medium through a catheter threaded into the pulmonary artery or the right side of the heart to visualize the pulmonary vasculature. Computed Tomography (CT) scans have mainly replaced this...
02:49Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...