Ovarian cancer is a disease in which normal ovarian cells change into irregular ones. When this happens, they grow out of control and may also spread to other organs.
As we know, the ovaries are home to a woman's eggs.
Since the ovaries are made of many anatomical layers, ovarian cancer can originate from any of them. However, cancer arising from the outer layer of the ovaries is the most common type. It’s called “epithelial ovarian carcinoma,” and it is found in about 85% to 90% of all ovarian cancer cases. Ovarian cancer occurs most often in women ages 50 to 65.
Can ovarian cancer cause shoulder pain?
In 99.9% of cases, ovarian cancer doesn't present with shoulder pain. That's because ovarian cancer rarely spreads to the bone (about 1% of cases).
Researchers in the UK studied the presenting symptoms of a number of patients with ovarian cancer. Out of the 574 patients in the study, none of them presented with shoulder pain.
That means that ovarian cancer presenting with shoulder pain is an extraordinary medical event. It is so rare we could only find one report of shoulder pain as the initial symptom of ovarian cancer in an entire online medical database.
Can ovarian cysts cause neck and shoulder pain?
There are no studies that link ovarian cysts with neck and shoulder pain.
However, some studies suggest a link between emotional distress and increased shoulder pain in some patients.
That means that if you already have a painful shoulder, painful ovarian cysts could worsen your symptoms by making you feel more anxious.
Can ovarian cancer spread to the neck?
Ovarian cancer doesn't spread to the neck.
That's because, as we mentioned earlier, ovarian cancer spreads to the bone in only about 1% of all cases.
There's one (theoretical) way ovarian cancer could spread to the neck region. That is when it metastasizes in the lymph nodes around the neck.
However, this is also a long stretch. In a 10-year-long study in the National Hospital of Taiwan, only 20 patients with neck metastasis were reported, and all were in a very advanced stage of the disease.
Takeaway
In this article, we've scientifically reviewed whether there's a link between ovarian cancer and neck and shoulder pain. Luckily, studies suggest no link-up whatsoever.
