1 cm lung cancer tumor with COPD & emphysema: Anxious

Posted by franki24 @franki24, Jan 11 6:26pm

Hi: I am 75 years old and recently diagnosed with emphysema copd and 1 cm nodule that grew 1mm since last year and solidified. I had a pet scan that proved positive for cancer.
My pcp is optimistic that a VATS will take care of the growth as he has determined the copd and emphysema are mild. I typically walk 2 miles mostly up hill almost everyday and am able to breathe quite easily and do all that I need to do.
I am hopefully having a video visit with UPMC surgeon who is highly respected

I am experiencing extreme general anxiety and have been reading many of the comments on here and so appreciate all of you writing about your concerns,success and troubles.

Thank you

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hch559 | @hch559 | Feb 4 3:00pm

In reply to @lisam3x50 "Hi, My name is Lisa. I know anxiety can eat you alive and cancer is all..." + (show)

@lisam3x50

Hi, My name is Lisa. I know anxiety can eat you alive and cancer is all you can think of , I used to wake up every morning and the first thing I thought was, I have cancer. I couldn't even say the word without crying. Heck, I even wrote letters for my husband and son to find in case I didn't make it. The best thing you can do is talk and ask questions, someone will always have your answers and let you know you are not alone.
The way everything started for me was that, I race cars on the weekend and crashed into the wall and was flown to the hospital for care, during all the tests you go through, they done a CT of my chest and found a suspicious nodule to be followed up in 6 months it started out as a 1 cm solid pulmonary nodule in the superior left lower lobe, with small adjacent nodules. Bronchial wall thickening. My doctor ordered a PET scan in the 6th month. It was positive, so a biopsy was done,
DIAGNOSIS;
Malignant; non-small cell carcinoma, favor squamous cell carcinoma.
I got in the car and screamed all the way home, then when I had got to a point where I could think, I started searching, asking questions and just felt like I needed to talk to people who have been where I am, and it took away a lot of the panic of where I thought it had to be removed NOW or I'd die, I talk to my doctor who said, look cancer is scary but we have come so far in cancer treatment that this is just a bump in the road. My surgery was done in May of last year, they removed the lower left lobe of my lung and 6 lymph nodes, one of which was positive for malignancy. so it turned out to be a stage IIb, so I had 4 rounds of chemo and my next CT was negative. I have another CT scheduled for April.
Through everything I kept remembering that its just a bump in the road and I'm not alone. So if you have any questions that you want to ask please do. If you want to talk we are here, talking seems to help the most for me.

Jump to this post

Lisa, my doctor told me today that the 1 cm nodule biopsy result is malignant.
It is Adeno lung cancer.
I never smoke and drink alcohol in my whole life.
Doctor said then it is second hand smoker lung cancer, though none of my family smokes.
I am 75 years old woman, the date to see surgeon is 2/12. I am kind of depressed not knowing the cause of happening.
Doctor today said it will be robotic surgery.
I don’t know yet the surgery will be segmental resection or more need to be removed.
Thanks for you talked to us. Helen

franki24 | @franki24 | Feb 4 3:35pm

Hch:
This news makes me so sad.. There are however a lot of things in your favor..I am keeping you in my thoughts and prayers of peace..

Frank

vic83 | @vic83 | Feb 4 8:08pm

In reply to @franki24 "Hi Vic: Saddened to read of your experience. To be fair, my PCP has been very..." + (show)

Hello Frank............"He referred to it as COPD without benefit of PFT. "........ that is unfortunate. Have you read the X-ray? That would only be the beginning. One needs a CT scan.
Spirometry/Pulmonary function tests are needed to determine if symptoms are caused by a lung condition such as asthma, COPD, chronic bronchitis, emphysema or pulmonary fibrosis,
They clarify if obstructive (COPD) or restrictive (pulmonary fibrosis). Doctor needs to know how to interpret the results (below is an example).

My view is that before medicine is art, one needs to have a solid foundation and sufficient experience in the area of concern. Art is then educated guessing. I see a PCP as a doctor who has a broad background but does not have depth in any one area. They are the first "medical line" and handle common issues and direct bigger issues to the correct specialist. My PCP is noteworthy because he is not afraid to say he does not know something. When I asked him if I should switch osteoporosis drug, he said he did not know, and I should see an Endocrinologist. I did and learned that contrary to normal practice I should stay on my current drug because it has anti-bone tumor properties, and I have cancer. That was a valuable piece of information!

Pulmonary function test interpretation example: Spirometry and the calculation of FEV1/FVC allows the identification of obstructive or restrictive ventilatory defects. A FEV1/FVC < 70 % where FEV1 is reduced more than FVC signifies an obstructive defect. Common examples of obstructive defects include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. The FEV1 can be expressed as a percentage of the predictive value which allows classification of the severity of the impairment. An FEV1/FVC > 70% where FVC is reduced more so than FEV1 is seen in restrictive defects such as interstitial lung diseases (e.g. idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis) and chest wall deformities.
Take care!

franki24 | @franki24 | Feb 5 2:05pm

In reply to @denzie "Sending hope that this is fine with the VATS. Between now and the surgery walk as..." + (show)

Hi Denzie:
Big smile to you.

hch559 | @hch559 | Feb 6 12:52pm

In reply to @franki24 "Hch: This news makes me so sad.. There are however a lot of things in your..." + (show)

Thank you, Frank.
I asked doctor if they will examine if it is caused by genetic mutation. He said they will.
I don’t know yet they would do chemo on me or not, but probably I would need to. I am scared of the complications of side effects. It seems to make the patient suffering more, I know my body has been sensitive to medication. The biopsy doctor told my husband that they were surprised that they only used little bit of anesthesia on me, then I was knocked out.
I also concerned the pains during recovery after surgery.
Helen

franki24 | @franki24 | Feb 6 1:39pm

Helen:

I feel the same exact way. Your words describe my feelings perfectly.

That being said, I have surgery on the 11th. I have decided that I will go under the surgery hoping for the best. I imagine myself being released in 3 days. I imagine it will be painful and limiting. I will walk if able and breathe into the gizmo.

I have taken the position that whatever is going to happen will happen. My response is what matters. I have lived a life filled with everything good and bad. I have laughed and I have cried. I thought I was dying before and I have no memory of the pain. Each time I have worried myself sick, my life didn't end, I was reborn.

No one knows what tomorrow brings. Stay in today for there is only one day, the DAY CALLED TODAY.

I offer you all of the love in my heart.

Frank

Lisa, Volunteer Mentor | @lls8000 | Feb 6 2:17pm

In reply to @hch559 "Thank you, Frank. I asked doctor if they will examine if it is caused by genetic..." + (show)

Hi Hellen @hch559, There are many toxins in our world. We don't know what causes most cancers, including many types of lung cancer. For those with no risk factors, it's easy for the doctors to blame secondhand smoke, but I don't believe it.
I'm glad to hear that your doctor confirmed that they'll send your tissue for further analysis. The biomarker testing may open up treatment options other than traditional chemo, so it is very important. I have one of the cellular mutation lung cancers, ALK Positive. I'm treated with oral medication. Hopefully they can have that test result back before you start a post-surgical treatment. Keep us posted. Has the surgery been scheduled yet?

franki24 | @franki24 | Feb 6 2:49pm

In reply to @lls8000 "Hi Hellen @hch559, There are many toxins in our world. We don't know what causes most..." + (show)

That is just great information
BRAVA

hch559 | @hch559 | Feb 6 4:20pm

In reply to @lls8000 "Hi Hellen @hch559, There are many toxins in our world. We don't know what causes most..." + (show)

Lisa, yes it is easy to say the cause is the second hand smoke, that was how I felt when doctor said so. I have been always eat healthy, avoid toxics. I found out this serious disease accidentally.
I had a dear friend who died two year ago from Adeno lung cancer. She was healthy, a non smoker, non wine drinker.
She had target therapy for about 5 years, she told me that was genetic mutation.
Lisa, do you have side effect from oral medication?
Doctor did not say the tissue will send to lab, not until I mentioned the generic mutation. I hope he will do so.
2/12 is the consultant with surgeon, then he will schedule the surgery afterwards.
I appreciate that you contacted me. That made me feel someone’s there paying attention to my concerns.
Helen

hch559 | @hch559 | Feb 6 8:14pm

In reply to @franki24 "My Lovely Visit with A Pulmonologist: So< I had a pulmonary function test last week and..." + (show)

Frank,
You said doctor talked to you for more than one hour and 10 minutes, my appointment with my pulmonologist this Tuesday 2/4 telling me the biopsy result is malignant and he was in hurry to leave after I asked the tissue for genetics mutation examination.
After I came home, the nurse called to make appointment with a surgeon.
Helen

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