Discovered cancer spot on my lung after covid-19

Hello @togerm, Welcome to Mayo Connect! I'm glad that your cancer was found so you and the doctors can take action now. I know it's common to want to know what caused the cancer, but sometimes we will just never know. Lung cancer has been one of the most common cancers across the world for many years, including the years prior to COVID appearing in 2020. I'm not a clinician or researcher, and my lung cancer was growing and diagnosed before COVID. Doctors that assume all lung cancers are caused by smoking aren't doing people like us any favors either. I don't know what caused my cancer (I'm a never smoker). I was told that sometimes biology makes mistakes, and most of those mistakes are corrected by the amazing systems in our bodies that protect us from bad things, but sometimes those mistakes can't be corrected, cells multiply and create cancer. I know that may seem simple, but it helped me to stop searching for the root cause.
I wish you well with your appointment. The PET should show if there are other areas of concern. Are you getting a list of questions together for the appointment? Do you have someone that can go with you?

Thank you for responding, yes, I have my list of questions ready, but I will be by myself. why would I need anyone to go with me?

Having a list of questions and concerns will be very helpful. I went to my appointments alone but I know that many need support. My nodules were found after I had had covid twice (again after nodules were found) but luckily, after wedge resection and lymph nodes removal, they were found to be HAMARTOMAS. Benign. They lit up on PET. Good luck and let us know how you are doing.

Thank you for responding, yes, I have my list of questions ready, but I will be by myself. why would I need anyone to go with me?

@togerm, You certainly aren't required to take anyone with you to your appointment. Some patients find that having someone along can be helpful. Other patients find that they navigate best on their own, and that works too.
Early in the diagnosis process, I had someone with me. I was overwhelmed and didn't retain everything that I was being told, or I interpreted something differently than my partner, so we knew that we needed to follow up for clarification. Now that my cancer is stable, I go to my appointments by myself.

In 2-1/2 weeks I see the surgeon about my cancer surgery. The Pulmonary Doctor is leaning toward radiation. Has anyone been in this situation? I delayed seeing the Radiation Consultant until I spoke to the surgeon. Opinions?

@togerm, I agree with @lls8000 that it is not always possible to know that cause of one's cancer. In some (not so common) situations there are clear indicators like smoking, family genetics, mutations, environmental hazards, age, to name a few. More commonly, the cause of cancer is not simple to pinpoint.

Spots on the lungs are most commonly detected when a patient is getting imaging studies (x-ray, CT-scan, etc.) for another medical reason. One friend found his lung cancer when the x-ray technician noticed a spot on his lungs when examining the x-ray of his broken collarbone. One could say that the broken collarbone saved his life.

Lung cancer often doesn't cause noticeable symptoms until it is late stage. Thus finding the spot on your lung due to monitoring for COVID may be a silver lining.

@togerm, have you had a biopsy? Is it lung cancer or a different type of cancer?

@togerm, You certainly aren't required to take anyone with you to your appointment. Some patients find that having someone along can be helpful. Other patients find that they navigate best on their own, and that works too.
Early in the diagnosis process, I had someone with me. I was overwhelmed and didn't retain everything that I was being told, or I interpreted something differently than my partner, so we knew that we needed to follow up for clarification. Now that my cancer is stable, I go to my appointments by myself.

Same here. There've been times when I've had "special" meetings where my doctor thought he saw something concerning in my CT scan. In these instances, my oncologist allows me to call my wife and put her on speakerphone during our meeting. I don't know if all doctors permit that.