Colon cancer and lower back pain

[star68]

Good afternoon everyone,

My mum has an infiltrative Adenocarcinoma of the colon stage III, no surgery because of the age (87 year old) palliative care treatment, her Radiotherapy suspended because she has lumbago, lower back pain and she's been in bed for three weeks now waiting to be seen by oncologist to re-evaluate treatment. She is on Tramadol and Paracetamol, but she still got pain. I called a physiotherapist and told her the situation to see what she can do for her to easy the pain, and she said that it's quite possible that the pain comes from the tumor as it grows the pain can be referred to the lower back triggering a lumbago crisis. Her GP never said anything like that, he diagnosed her with lumbago.
Has anyone ever experienced bad lower back pain lumbago type with colon cancer. no surgery just palliative care. Now we have to go back to the oncologist to re-evaluate the situation because she cannot have radiotherapy again.

Last December she had a PET scan and they confirmed she didn't have metastasis, but now I am worried.

Thank you.

[CatzinDJ]

This may be too simple but is the back pain tied to constipation? I know my back hurt a lot near the ribs on the left side. I think now it was constipation.

Others will answer who are more knowledgeable.

[PainInTheAss]

Just Googling it, lumbago IS lower back pain whether it comes from the tumor or the radiation. If it's from the tumor, the radiation should bring relief over time as the tumor shrinks.

If it's from the radiation, you could ask about a more focused radioation like Gamma knife. Normal chemo rad radiates the entire pelvis. One lady ended up with a crack in her tailbone from the radiation and had severe pain, so it's possible, but not from just a few sessions I wouldn't think. My tumor and the radiation did not affect my back.