Keep reading to know is heel pain a sign of cancer..

Heel pain is something that a lot of people experience on a regular basis. It can occur because of a number of reasons, and often make our movements very painful. So, if you are experiencing heel pain, then you must schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider.

As we all know, heel pain can occur because of a number of reasons. Sometimes, cancer can also lead to heel pain. So, a lot of patients might wonder is heel pain a sign of cancer. As we all know, it is quite difficult to treat cancer, when you are diagnosed with this disease during the later stages.

Early diagnosis is only possible when you give proper attention to the symptoms that might be present. Most of us tend to ignore the symptoms if they don’t bother us much. This tendency is very bad, and it might put you in great trouble.

We must realize that anything that is not normal must be considered as an indication of an abnormality. Therefore, we must get in touch with our healthcare provider to find out the root cause of that particular symptom. So, without wasting further time, let’s gather some clarity regarding the relationship between heel pain and cancer.

Is heel pain a sign of cancer?

Heel pain is not always a sign of cancer. In fact, it can be ascertained that the majority of the cases involving heel pain are actually diagnosed as Plantar Fasciitis. In addition to that, several other non-cancerous conditions can also lead to heel pain.
But, there could be some rare instances where chronic heel pain might actually indicate cancer. Several researches have been carried out in this field, and it was discovered that in some cases, lung cancer or breast cancer might lead to a metastasized lesion on the heel bone.
Apart from that, the several types of cancer which attack the bones, lymph nodes, and blood might also manifest themselves in the different parts of the body such as, heel or foot.
As we can see, heel pain may or may not be associated with cancer. So, if you come across any kind of painless bumps, or lumps on the heels, or feet, then you shouldn’t get worried immediately.
Such painless bumps are usually caused by ill fitted shoes that tend to rub and irritate the tissues. Some of these conditions are retrocalcaneal bursitis, cysts, and Haglund’s Deformity.
At the same time, if you face any other complicated symptoms along with the heel pain, then you should take the situation seriously. Some of these symptoms include unexplained weight loss, fatigue, fever, swollen lymph nodes, etc.
During such instances, it is better to get yourself checked by a good healthcare provider who will be able to make the correct diagnosis. Thereafter, you can begin the treatment as needed.

Which type of cancer causes heel pain?

If you are wondering is heel pain a sign of cancer, then you might also want to know about the type of cancer that can cause heel pain in the patients.

People who are suffering from bone cancer frequently complain about heel pain. As we all know, bone cancer develops in the cells that are present in the bones. This cancer can occur in any bone of our body.
Thus, bone cancer can also develop in heels. People who are suffering from this condition might experience several other symptoms like swelling or tenderness in the concerned area, severe pain, difficulty in moving, etc
So, if you are experiencing the above mentioned set of symptoms, then the chances are high that you might be suffering from bone cancer. However, this particular form of cancer is very rare, and it only accounts for about 1% of all cancers.
As we all know, sometimes the cancer tends to spread to the other areas of the body such as the heels, and foot. Such cancers are known as metastatic or secondary cancer. Some of these cancers are prostate, breast, and lung cancer.
The symptoms of the metastatic or secondary cancer might vary according to the area that has been affected. However, in most cases, you will be experiencing pain, swelling, and changes in the appearance of the affected area.

What are the other causes of heel pain?

Now that we know, is heel pain a sign of cancer, or not, let’s take a look at some other issues that might lead to heel pain.

It should be kept in mind that Plantar fasciitis is regarded as a very common cause of heel pain by the health care practitioners. This condition occurs when a band of tissue which runs across the bottom of the foot (plantar fascia), gets inflamed or strained.
This condition might also lead to immense pain in the heel region, or arch of the foot. The patients might experience this pain while getting out of their bed in the morning. Sometimes, they might also experience pain after standing for a prolonged period of time.
Heel pain is also experienced by patients when they get stress fractures. These fractures can be considered as small cracks in the bone, and they develop because of repetitive or overuse injuries. In this case, the patients might also experience difficulty in walking, swelling, pain, etc.
Sometimes, heel pain can also occur because of bursitis. In this case, the bursae become inflamed. This condition can develop in the heels, and cause tremendous pain. This pain can further aggravate while you are standing or walking.

Conclusion

We have discussed is heel pain a sign of cancer. As we can see, heel pain can occur because of several reasons, and in rare cases, it might occur because of cancer. So, if you are experiencing heel pain, then you must get yourself examined thoroughly to find out what’s causing the pain. For this purpose, the doctor might ask you to undergo different imaging tests, such as MRIs, X-rays, CT scans, etc. These tests will help in determining whether the heel pain is a result of cancer or other health conditions.