When Back Pain Turns Deadly: An Unusual Presentation of Lung Cancer.

Back pain is a common presenting concern in physician offices and emergency departments alike, with etiologies ranging from minor injuries to severe life-threatening illnesses. This case details the clinical course of a 68-year-old former smoker with no pulmonary symptoms who presented with back pain multiple times before developing cord compression syndrome and being diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It demonstrates the importance of lung cancer screening and the necessity of monitoring for red flags in cases of back pain.