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Multifocal Adenocarcinoma of the lung, continual recurrences
We have multifocal adenocarcinoma of the lung. @linda10 and @sakota.- Please join me in this discussion.
For a short explanation of this tongue twister. Briefly, Multifocal Adenocarcinoma (MAC) of the lung is a clinical entity of multiple synchronous (less than 6 months) or metachronous (more than 6 months), often ground-glass opacities (GGO) on CT scan, typically indolent-behaving cancers. There is a scarce amt of clinical data to guide treatment decisions.
This came from http://ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.1200/JCO.2017.35.15_suppl.e20041.
This means that more than one potential cancerous lesion, mostly ground glass, shows up at a time. For instance I had 3 cancerous lesions 10 years ago in my left lung and in the same area. They were all different sizes. They grow at different rates.
Multifocal adenocarcinoma is a very complex cancer because the medical profession doesn't know if the ground glass lesions are the primary cancer or small metastases of another primary cancer. They don't even know where they start..
Multifocal Adenocarcinoma has sub types and it's management is based on whether it's indolent or very virulent.
These are very simplistic explanations. Even doctors are confused by it and it's only been within the last twenty years that they have separated it from a Bronchioloalveolar Carcinoma (BAC).
The constant recurrences are the buggers. Not only do we have to constantly face lots of CT scans but when lung cells change, which they often do, we are in terror of another virulent cancer. I presently have several ground glass lesions. And I have had many that have disappeared. It's enough to drive you nuts and PTSD is exacerbated by the frequency of these devils.
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@meka! welcome back. I'm sorry that I wasn't here to welcome you back. How are you "really" doing? How's your breathing? Your friend must feel awful to have missed the service. She shouldn't feel guilty about this.Life somehow gets in the way of so many things. Tell us about your operation! Was it as bad as you thought it would be?
I don't know how many of you have heard of alpha-1 which is a genetic condition that affects the lungs and liver. I never knew anything about it until I had some dna testing done and they said I was a carrier of the alpha 1. So I am classified as a MZ the m as being normal and the z is for the alpha. They tell me that since I was a smoker and now a carrier it increased my chances of copd . Today I read an article that being a carrier increases your chances of getting copd, adenocarcinoma cancer and squamous cell cancer. Lucky me I have all three!!!! its something to think about. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2562773/
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2 Reactions@sakota That is really interesting. Am going to check out the article you cited. Have had some DNA testing done through 23 and Me, but nothing like this. I am really intrigued. Thank you.
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1 Reaction@sakota- Good morning Joan! How are you faring? Many of us have a multitude of diseases as a result of smoking. And there is not any difference in treatments for COPD, whether it's genetic or not. You have both squamous and adenocarcinoma cells? I'm confused.
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/alpha-1-antitrypsin-deficiency
https://lungevity.org/for-patients-caregivers/lung-cancer-101/types-of-lung-cancer/squamous-cell-lung-cancer
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/non-small-cell-lung-cancer/about/what-is-non-small-cell-lung-cancer.html
@sakota–- Morning Joan- How are things going for you? You mentioned two different types of cancer in your previous post. Can you clarify that for me?
@meka - Morning. How are you doing @meka? Did you have that CT scan to follow up on the change? Are you out walking yet?
Oh dear, where have I been, seems I can't get past crazy. Mayo surgeon said everything looked great and wait on the CT. Oh glorious sunshine, had been out walking, some yard time and now we have 2' of new snow and it's still blowing and snowing tonight!!
Still finding out about Medicare, VA doesn't except my lack of trust in our local system and still insist they will not refer me to a more cancer treatment VA.
Anyway, the snow will go by June, and so wish everyone here best health possible and lots of energy hugs!! Meka
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1 Reaction@meka- Morning Joan- I'm glad that you are outside (until the snow) walking. It's the best exercise! More trouble with the VA? What is wrong with them? What are you going to do? Just in case?
This may sound like a dumb question but when you have radiation treatments for lung cancer can that do damage to any other part of your body, like I am thinking of brain. Or is it too precise to do something like that.
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2 Reactions@sakota- Excellent question Joan-I think that it depends on the type of radiation. The type that I had, SBRT, usually doesn't unless it's aimed there: Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) is a treatment procedure similar to central nervous system (CNS) stereotactic radiosurgery, except that it deals with tumors outside of the CNS. A stereotactic radiation treatment for the body means that a specially designed coordinate-system is used for the exact.
Why are you asking? Do you have a new nodule?
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