Marcia, I believe your question "How does it happen you have had 5 lung cancers?" was meant for @merpreb who has Multifocal Adenocarcinoma of the lung. She explains in this discussion:

- Multifocal Adenocarcinoma of the lung, continual recurrences https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/multifocal-adenocarcinoma-of-the-lung-continual-recurrences/

Hi Marcia- By this time you should have had your PET scan. what did it show?

Colleen gave you a link to my Multifocal adenocarcinoma lung cancer. I now have a 6th lung cancer which involves 2 lesions that have grown from pure ground glass to partial solidity. I begin SBRT (very focused radiation for people who can not have any more surgery) next Monday. I go to Mass General in Boston, which is the major top hos[ital in New England. Each lesion is considered a primary cancer lesion and not a metastasis. They don't spread. They are indolent, very, very slow growing, and can be in more than one lung at a time. They can come and disappear too. As of October 3rd I will have been a lung cancer survivor for 25 years!

Nobody really knows why cancers come back for sure. My guess is that an original cancer had spread and just took its time getting to where it finally shows up. Also, for people who never smoked, there is a saying: "If you have lungs you can get lung cancer." There probably isn't a place in or on a human body that can't become cancerous. But that's for a different discussion.

How are you feeling?