Is it lung Cancer?

@burdyblue, the size of the nodule can come into play when a pulmonologist is determining the next steps. Sometimes they want to wait and see if it grows. In that case they may suggest waiting ~3 months and doing another CT scan. Personally, I have had a .8cm nodule biopsied by robotic bronchoscopy, but I was already a lung cancer patient, so they were 90% sure that we were dealing with cancer recurrence. It turned out to be fungal, not cancer.
Your primary nodule is over that questionable point.

Many thanks for the clarification. I get it. Will let you know how I fare once I get an appt. Working on it today. May you have a good weekend and thanks again for the mentoring. I appreciate it so much. Will get me through the weekend more calm.

Got to a wonderful pulmonologist who took me within 3 days of my PET scan results since I've a penny size mass in my lung. I was surprised that it is in the scar tissue where my breast cancer radiation occurred almost 20 years ago. The doctor told me it looks like to to her to be from radiation and that if possible, the mass should be removed ASAP after a guided needle biopsy. That worries me pain wise, but she said the mass is not deep and it might be easier?

The source is not from my breast cancer. It's a separate, new cancer, not metatases. I know nothing yet about other characteristics which are beyond my knowledge base so far in this area of cancer. The doctor told me the scar tissue is as tough as an orange peel which makes cutting through it tricky. I'm scheduled with a thoracic surgeon for a stage 1, maybe a 2 malignancy. I have "absolute hope" she said, so I should not get discouraged, and she is there for support. Still hard though.

What is odd to me is that it was a dermatologist who told me that I ought to watch out for lung cancer due to the breast radiation. I thought that was old school because when I got radiation in 2006, it was said that newer methods should minimize that fallout. So I started doing low dose x-ray scans and with my smoking history, too.

Moving forward, but unanswered questions remain for a surgeon soon on what path I go. Thoracic surgeon is said to be good, trained at MD Anderson. My pulmonologist was the most caring doctor I have ever met and I am so grateful. She even got me on board with an ocologist who deals with lung patients.

Anxiety level still high, but I am walking, meditating, and trying to stay engaged in my hobbies to reduce it.

Thank you for listening. Glad for the recommendation by other members who told me how to push through for treatment and what came first, because my primary physician of all people, was dragging her feet on ordering a PET scan per radiologist's suggestion, and getting records sent to a pulmonologist. This primary said she has never dealt with a patient with lung cancer before, so I will chalk the whole frustrating experience up to inexperience. When I get through this storm, I will look for another primary someday. Thank you to members who gave me advice. It really helped. So glad for the connection.
Burdyblue

I had an upper left robotic Lobectomy in April. The biopsy showed Stage 1A and EFRG variant on the bio marker test (I have never smoked).

I also had breast cancer in 2019, treated with lumpectomy and then radiation.

This lung cancer is not a metastasis. It is in exactly the same location as my radiation was, so I feel sure that the radiation caused it, but my doctors (lung and breast) say it is impossible to know. Has anyone else had lung cancer following radiation for breast cancer?

Thank you for replying and I hope you are feeling better now. The pulmonologist is convinced mine is from radiation but you are right, it is impossible to know. I was told also that a surgeon might find it hard to get at the mass which is right at the sight of radiation and not deep at all. The difficulty is getting through thick skin. Does that sound familiar at all to your case? I hope I can go the robotic method, too with more rapid recovery? May I ask, please, how long it took you to recover, please? I am 68 and healthy overall and I walk a few miles every day. (That's what I live for to do outside.) I get together this week with an oncology lung doctor, and I am guessing I will not be offered radiation because I already had that. (?) I am wondering though if chemo will be offered? That scares me the most.

Many thanks for your info, and wishing you continued health.
Burdyblue

Hi,

As far as I have read, chimp is never necessary for Stage 1. Do you know what stage you are?

My tumour was very small (1(.7 cm x 1.6 cm, so about 3/4 inch). It was located in a very inaccessible place so they could not do a broncoscopy before surgery. However, my surgeon was convinced it was cancer and he recommended removing the entire lobe. You absolutely MUST have this done robotically even if it means travelling somewhere. The pain after the old method is excruciating and the recovery far longer. But it is essential to find a highly experienced robotic surgeon. Mine does 4 of these surgeries every day.

I left hospital after 3 days. This was longer than normal because I had an air leak. I went home with the drainage tube still in and that cause a lot of pain till it was removed 4 days later. My incisions did not hur t at all and healed very fast. One was 2 inches long and the other 4 were 1/2 inch.

I am 76, am very fit and have never smoked. I started walking 5 x 5 minutes per day immediately after surgery, eve n in the hospital. I now can walk 3 miles a day but still get a little. breathless. I started working out in the gym 1 month after surgery and can now do virtually everything I did before. I was very fatigued for about 8 weeks after surgery.

Good luck to you.

Hi Jill7517,

Thanks for the information.
Pulmonologist says stage 1, maybe 2—about 3.1 cm x 1.9 cm.

What does"chimp," mean please?

Robotics is available with a thoracic surgeon here, so I hope that is the chosen approach for me. Tumor is underneath scar tissue the pulmonologist says, so it will be a more difficult surgery.

Have appointments this week for a needle biopsy and visits to the oncologist and thoracic surgeon the pulmonologist arranged for me to get a jump on.

Should I be able to go forward with surgery, I will certainly do the 5 x 5 min. straight away. Maybe I could get to a gym, too, if I can push through the fatigue.

Your resilience is inspiring. I will keep that in the forefront of my mind.
Will let you know in several weeks how I fare.

Many thanks.
🍀 For you, too.

Hi Jill7517,

Thanks for the information.
Pulmonologist says stage 1, maybe 2—about 3.1 cm x 1.9 cm.

What does"chimp," mean please?

Robotics is available with a thoracic surgeon here, so I hope that is the chosen approach for me. Tumor is underneath scar tissue the pulmonologist says, so it will be a more difficult surgery.

Have appointments this week for a needle biopsy and visits to the oncologist and thoracic surgeon the pulmonologist arranged for me to get a jump on.

Should I be able to go forward with surgery, I will certainly do the 5 x 5 min. straight away. Maybe I could get to a gym, too, if I can push through the fatigue.

Your resilience is inspiring. I will keep that in the forefront of my mind.
Will let you know in several weeks how I fare.

Many thanks.
🍀 For you, too.

Hi again, Lisa.

My PET scan with contrast shows a 2.7 x 1.6 mass that spans 3.3 cm when accounting for a groundglass component which is how important I don't know. No cancer seems to show up elswhere in the body, so this mass looks to be a "developing second primary of pulmonary origin" it was noted in the report , so I think it indicates it's not from my previous breast cancers from a good while ago. I smoked and have mild emphysema, too. I had a breast MRI recently with nothing there. My next step is a pulmonologist who will do a recommended biopsy of the nodule or mass. My primary told me she did the referral, but the pulmonologist got no referral, so I have to bug the primary once again. A call to a multidisciplinary center at UT also says it's booked through November!

My primary says the mass is big. (??) On a former CT w/o contrast, the mass was said to be spiculated which is not good, but on this PET scan, no mention of that, only groundglass is noted. What is groundglass, please? Next step, pursue a pulmonologist and biopsy ASAP I hope. Thank you for the support.