Association Between Joint Pain and Cancer in 8.45 Million Korean Adults: Insights from a National Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Joint pain, a multifactorial musculoskeletal symptom, is rising globally due to an aging population. Simultaneously, cancer is increasingly considered a chronic condition with growing prevalence and improved survival rates, similar to hypertension and diabetes. Although the association between chronic diseases such as diabetes and joint pain has been well studied, the relationship between cancer and joint pain remains underexplored, especially as cancer's chronic disease status evolves. Methods: This study analyzed data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES V) to investigate associations between cancer and joint pain in 8,451,047 individuals, representing Koreans over 50. Descriptive analyses identified demographic characteristics and disparities in joint pain prevalence by age and sex. Multivariate logistic regression analyzed seven common cancers in relation to spine, hip, and knee pain, adjusting for various factors and the Kellgren-Lawrence radiographic grade to pinpoint cancers significantly associated with each joint pain type. Results: Analysis demonstrated significant associations between certain cancers and joint pain. Back pain was linked to gastric, liver, cervical, and lung cancers; hip pain to breast and thyroid cancers; and knee pain to liver cancer. These findings underline complex relationships that suggest further investigation is needed to clarify specific cancer-related joint pain mechanisms. Conclusions: Descriptive and regression analyses highlighted essential demographic factors and significant associations between certain cancers and joint pain types. These insights enhance understanding of cancer's chronic impact on joint pain and underscore the need for further research to refine these associations.