Previous heart surgery & risks of surgery to remove lung net

I did not have heart problems but had a 8 cm mass removed with the entire right lung. 2 years ago. Life with one lung is no picnic. The nerve pain after was the worse. I am having liver surgery to remove the nets that have spread. It took 2 years of clean scans till they found it had spread to liver and 1 on bone. I have be struggling with whether to have the liver surgery. It will buy me a few years I think so leaning toward the surgery. Good luck in your decision making. I am 68 and was the picture of health before the lung removal. My friend had a lobe removed and did really well.

I also had a typical carcinoid, about the same size as yours, and I had a microwave ablation procedure to avoid lobectomy. My tumor is not completely gone, but has shrunk. I will be 2 years since ablation in May. I have had follow up CT scans every 4-5 months and everything is stable. I also have DIPNECH, but I am so far doing well. Ask your physicians if there are interventional radiologists who perform pulmonary ablation procedures as it was a much easier recovery than lobectomy.

@aprils1957 What kind of liver surgery will you be having?

@stephanieann Were any other options presented to you other than the lobectomy?

@tammyv615
This sounds like a good option I will ask medical oncologist But were they able to determine if you had any lymph node involvement in your lung area? Thanks

@tomrennie
I will have surgical debulking guided by ultrasound, The problem is one of the tumors is close to the Portal vein and the right hepatic vein also passes through this bifurcation. We discussed potential complications like bile leakage in which I will need a tube inserted. I will be in the hospital about 6 days which seems long. I am more nervous about this surgery than I was the removal of my lung. I am a retired nurse so I know complications do happen but if this surgery buys me more years I will take the risk...

@tammyv615
Dear Tammy,
i will ask my. medical oncologist if microwave ablation is a suitable option. Because of my age 76 and having higher risks for surgery this would seem to be perhaps a better option. I am not sure why they never mentioned it. It just seems everyone said removing the NET would likely be curative, but what about the side effects of the lobectomy? Are they able to know if you have lymph nodes that may be affected when they do the microwave ablation.?

@stephanieann I had a biopsy via bronchoscopy before the ablation and the closest lymph nodes were clear.

@aprils1957 I currently have a 4cm pancreatic NET that has spread primarily to my liver and bones. The largest liver mass is 5.7cm and is again slowly growing into my left portal vein. My splenic vein is blocked. Initially, 3.5 years ago, my tumors also mostly blocked the main portal vein and the superior mesenteric vein. Due to the spread, surgery wasn't an option. I needed systemic treatment. I have been living on chemo ever since. Has systemic treatment been considered? How will the debulking surgery buy you a few more years? As a retired nurse, I greatly value your input. Thank you.

I have been on Everlimos for 12 weeks. A follow up CT done recently showed slight growth of my tumors so I am not convinced it is working. I have one in bone on the front part of spine at T-7 decided not to have radiation on it. The liver has 5 small tumors with one being close to the portal and hepatic veins. The surgeon is hoping to remove them all and then see what happens. I know they will come back but then he thinks then he would remove the lobe of liver. My Net started in my lung but it took 2 years to see that it had spread (I had no symptoms) So my theory is that taking the tumors out now will buy me at least two years and then when they grow back taking out the lobe with buy me two more. I am not looking forward to liver surgery but it feels like this is what I should do now. What Chemo are you on? I am told that treatments are very different based on where the primary tumor was. How long have you lived with this? I am cheered to hear you have lived 3.5 with systemic treatment. Thanks for sharing your story.