12 mm Spiculated Nodule upper right lobe

My cancer was found when a CT scan was done to check the heart. This was followed up with a second CT and then a PET scan was ordered. I did have a biopsy and Robotic-assisted lobectomy surgery is now set to remove the lower left lobe. I will then heal for 3 to 4 weeks and hopefully be strong enough for the angioplasty. I have meet some wonderful doctors at Mayo whom I have complete confidence in.

Yes, I meant the lower left lobe. Your situation sounds a lot like mine. No one has suggested putting me on any medication for the heart during the time I am waiting for the lobectomy. I am glad that everything has turned out so well for you. I hope mine turns out as well. Thank you for your notes.

My angioplasty (done at local hospital) revealed a 70 percent blockage in the left anterior descending artery (and other significantly lesser blockages). 70% is the threshold for putting in a cardiac stent. That threshold was set because they were putting in too many stents for lesser blockages before. The medication was to keep arteries open until after lung surgery. In fact, there is a study that indicates that people on medication can do as well as people who have stent. After my VAT lung surgery at Mayo, I had Mayo consult to see if I might continue on the medication and not do a stent (I was thinking about the possibility of additional lung surgeries). If you haven't had an angioplasty, I assume they have yet to identify blockages.
Best wishes for your surgery. They have lots of experience at Mayo for lung surgery.

I was to have the angioplasty the day they saw the cancer on the CT. The angioplasty was canceled because the cancer surgery must be done first due to the blood thinners that must be used after the angioplasty. I am identified with 70% blockage in the left artery.

@char09, having confidence in your team is so important. I’m glad that you’ve found that kind of comfort and trust, especially knowing you are headed toward future procedures.
Being a never smoker, a mutation may be driving your cancer. Do you know if they sent your initial biopsy for biomarker testing? If not, they’ll likely test the lobectomy tissue for any known mutations.

Amazing, that is just like me! Locally I had gone to pulmonologist about shortness of breath. CT scans showed issue with lungs. I was returning the overnight oximeter to hospital when my lower legs/feet became numb. The ER was right there so I went in. I had elevated troponin, so they recommended angiogram. When the doctor cried out "blockage" I reminded them about my lung issue and my scheduled appointment at Mayo and they said they could medicate. I wondered if I was doing the right thing, some would say the heart was more important. But after another cardiologist told me about the study that some people stay on medication and do not do stent....and confirmed that with the blood thinner therapy required after a stent no one would do surgery on me. I appreciated that and felt better after. Three weeks later my surgery at Mayo confirmed lung cancer. The local cardiologist was pleased they made the call to put me on medication at the time and I did not have to delay such a surgery.

Good luck with your surgery. My Pulmonary doctor said most lung cancers are discovered when doing a CT for heart issues. We are lucky.

Thanks, but I already had my surgery...actually now two surgeries. Many people have commented that I must have someone looking out for me because I discovered my lung cancer and my heart problem early on and in the right order!

Hello everyone, my name is Melisa and I came to this forum tirelessly searching for an answer that would ease my heart. I am 32 years old and I am my mother's only daughter, who is the reason and meaning of my life. He is 62 years old and in a lung CA scan due to smoking for many years, a 17mmx17mm solid subpleural nodule with irregular and spiculated margins, with a tendency to crash, was detected in the right upper lobe, anterior segment. All doctors have a proactive and aggressive approach and I understand why, but I can't understand why us. I don't want my mom to suffer, I don't want her to feel pain, I couldn't lose her, it would be losing myself because she is the reason for my life, I don't have anyone else. I try to be strong for her and try to pay attention to her or do things together that we enjoy, but since last week we were told this, our life has changed.
I am following up with my psychologist and my psychiatrist, she too, I have left my job for now, and I would really like to know if there is any minimal possibility or any case in the literature or medical practice that an injury of these characteristics could have a benign etiology? I look for the infiltration pattern, the reason for the spiculation, but everything the books or the internet say are cheap shots. Perhaps it is important to note that she underwent open surgery for achalasia when she was 20 years old and there was a significant decrease in esophageal motility, which is why she sometimes regurgitates and chokes frequently at night. In any case, doctors have told me that aspiration pneumonia does not have this type of presentation. I look for hamartomas, granulomas, some other etiology, but nothing, absolutely nothing seems to indicate another origin that is not malignant, taking into account the entire context. Could someone help me?In Argentina times are tyrannical. We have an appointment with the pulmonologist next week, who will send you the PET CT. Then we will try to get it authorized through our social work as quickly as possible, we do not have the resources to pay for it. Once this is done, they do not tell us what is diagnostic or specific, but rather they will move forward with the operation, probably on the segment. We don't know what the extent of this may be. I'm afraid it's an advanced stage. I have never felt anything like this in my life. I can't lose her. I couldn't bear to see her suffer although I must be strong for her, as she always was for me. I couldn't explain to you what a wonderful woman she is. Could anyone help me with their experience? I thank God for having come to this forum.
Please, help.

If this is cancer and they are considering surgery, that would indicate that it is an earlier stage lung cancer. But it might not be cancerous. There are other conditions that can cause spiculated nodules:

Inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and sarcoidosis

Infections like tuberculosis,
Lung cysts and abscesses
Rheumatoid nodules

In the US there are fungi that can cause them- histoplasmosis and aspergillosis. Might there be similar pathogens in Argentina?