Final answer:
Referred right shoulder pain can be associated with lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and liver cancer due to the proximity and nerve connections of these organs. It can also occur with other types of cancers such as breast and metastatic prostate cancer if they affect surrounding tissues or nerves.
Step-by-step explanation:
Right shoulder pain can be a referred pain site for various types of cancers. It is a phenomenon where pain is perceived at a location other than the site of the painful stimulus. In the context of cancer, lung cancer is a type that can cause referred pain to the shoulder. Additionally, disorders of the pancreas, including pancreatic cancer, can lead to symptoms that manifest as shoulder pain due to the proximity of the pancreas to the diaphragm, which can irritate nerves that also serve the shoulder area. Furthermore, liver cancer can result in shoulder pain via a similar mechanism as the liver is located under the diaphragm on the right side. Other forms of cancer such as breast cancer and metastatic prostate cancer might also cause referred shoulder pain, depending on the spread of the cancer and its effect on surrounding tissues and nerves.
Referred shoulder pain can sometimes be related to internal organ damage and is not exclusive to cancer. It's known that irritation to the diaphragm, for example, can feel like pain in the shoulder or neck, a concept also seen in Kehr's sign, where splenic injury refers pain to the left shoulder and neck.