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

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 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.

@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.

May I ask, what is The cut line also stained positive for cancer cells?

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 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.