Has anyone in this group undergone surgery for removal? Is it working?

I also had my upper left lobe removed and I think it was the best choice, I wanted them to do so when it was discussed. I also didn’t have anything else done, at first they thought I would need chemo but it was later decided that I didn’t need it, all the lymph nodes were clear of cancer as well as the margins of the lung lobe. I felt that they did what was best but if you start comparing to other people and what they had done it can cause a lot of anxiety for you, many things like age, physical health and the kind of cancer you have, I never realized how many types of cancer there are and now I do so naturally all treatment is designed for you and your condition

It was never an option for me. Please know that surgery is usually only offered with curative intent. It's considered the Gold Standard for treatment.

I have had a double lobecetomy, 2/3 right lung, 1/2 of left lung plus. After the right lung surgery, I had chemotherapy treatment. I have some now in left lower lung which I have had radiation. The only issues I have is in breathing. I am easily out of breath when I walk or anything under a physical environment. Surgery is the best option, I’m ten years after right lung removal.

wow!

I will have the lower left lobe removed in 2 weeks due to adenocarcinoma lung cancer. My doctor discussed 3 options with me, but given where the cancer is located and my age(78), robotic lung cancer surgery removing the entire lower lobe is less invasive and more precise and can lead to faster recovery times with the best chance of removing all the cancer. Searching on the internet is useful, but can also point out many scary opinions that don’t apply to my situation. I will rely on the trained professionals advice while doing some research on my own. I’m trying to face my situation with a positive attitude so I can recover quickly. So helpful to read what others have experienced.

I had my right lower lobe (for a 1.2 cm tumor) removed in April of last year by VATS, along with 13 lymph nodes and was amazed how little pain was involved in my recovery. I never needed anything more than acetaminophen and that was only for the first 4 or 5 days afterwards. I was staged at 1a with clear margins and lymph nodes. No chemo or radiation (so far). I pretty much resumed my normal activity level within a few months.

As of last month (my last CT Scan), I remain NED with no shortness of breath issues. I'm amazed! Oh, I turn 70 this October.

Six years ago I had the upper lobe of my right lung removed along with a dozen or so lymph nodes due to Squamous Cell Carcinoma. After pathology I was told that the doctors got it at Stage 1A and I recovered to no ill effects even with forty years of smoking and COPD.

I'm lucky that I don't use oxygen, inhalers or any breathing aids and I am 85 years old.

Donnie Hanberry

I had a successful VATs wedge resection of my LLL nine weeks ago. I recovered quickly back to my baseline. The first two weeks I needed pain medication. My margins were clean and lymph nodes negative. The pathology showed stage 1a adenocarcinoma.

Prior to surgery, I decided to pay to have a liquid biopsy to assess for Circulating Tumor Cells (CTC) and biomarkers in my blood. A person without cancer would not have CTCs in their blood.

My test showed a value of 2.4. I repeated the test 4 weeks after surgery and my count is still 2.1. I was told that the count should be less than 1.3 to be considered in remission. I have cancer cells being shed from a tumor somewhere in my body. I am scheduled to see Oncology and a few other specialists this fall for further workup. In the meantime, I continue to make healthy lifestyle changes and enjoy life.

I had my upper left lobe removed in February. It's considered the gold standard for curative intent. I had 12 lymph nodes removed-all negative and negative margins. Also lower left lobe wedge positive for aah (not considered cancer). Since I also have nodules in my right lung, i had chemo-4 cycles pemetrexed carboplatin with no side effects. The joy of multifocal adenocarcinoma.Will have scans 7/8 and if all is well, 1 year keytruda every 6 weeks. So far so good.

@annalee, yes, it's a big surprise when you first hear your doctors want to remove the whole lobe, but it's very common. In the past, like in 2018, they almost never took out just a piece of the lobe. Nowadays, it happens, but it's still rare. You'd have to ask your oncologist what qualifies for removing less than the whole lung lobe.

I was diagnosed with Stage 2b and had my upper right lobe removed using robotic-assisted surgery using the da Vinci II robot. I can't even find the 4th little scar most days. And it's a good thing they did take the whole lobe because they found out the cancer had already metastasized to a nearby lymph node.

The original plan was surgery with no chemo or radiation. But because it metastasized, I had 4 rounds of chemo. The cut line also stained positive for cancer cells, so I had 33 rounds of chemo.

Life expectancy is much higher when they do the initial surgery as quickly as possible. I now give talks on lung cancer awareness and the importance of prescreening. In my talks, I describe the days after diagnosis as "the whirlwind" because it sure feels like that. Sound like your doctor has the right plan

My nonsmokers lung cancer metastasized to my brain 2 years later, and I had to have brain surgery. In that case, they DID just remove the cancerous cyst and not the entire brain lobe. 🙂 Also, realize that cancer care, especially lung cancer care, has made HUGE strides in the last 10-15 years. I have the EGFR Exon 19 mutation and take a daily pill. I also had zero nausea during chemo.

Good luck with your surgery. Let us know how to goes and what comes next for you.