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Mass on lung and lymph nodes
I had a routine Cat Scan about a month ago and found large mass in lung and probability of surrounding lymph nodes. I have consultation this week to discuss best approach to biopsy and also setting up Pet scan. I’m beyond devastated and scared. I heard the needle biopsy is miserable. I feel certain I’m facing death and perhaps worse thing is telling my two adult daughters who already lost their dad when they were kids.
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So sorry to hear this!, I hate that so many of us have to go through this. There is good news that it hasn’t spread past the lymph nodes. Don’t be afraid to reach out to the team that did the biopsy to see if the pain is expected based on how extensive the biopsy was.
Waiting for oncology is tough, but usually there is a lot happening behind the scenes during that time. They may be running other test on the biopsy samples (additional analysis used to match a treatment to the specific type of cancer cells), they may be consulting with a tumor board (a group of other cancer specialists from oncology, pathology, radiology) to determine the best treatment plan.
Take care, try to do things that have gotten you through tough times in the past, whatever that may be. Lisa
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1 ReactionSo sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Now I’m back to being concerned about my repeat CT scan. I told you my initial CT scans and PET scan showed one size…..then the Mayo Clinic’s CT showed a smaller mass. Oncologist said cancer doesn’t shrink. So led me to believe it was just an infection. But I’m still coughing, clearing my throat constantly and I’ve got discomfort in my rib cage and back when taking a deep breath. Your story and mine are very similar…..except they cancelled my bronchoscopy and biopsy. We shall see on February 20.
I hope you get treatment or surgery that will completely cure you. Good news is it seems to be confined to your right lung. No metastasis. Prayers for you.
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1 ReactionOh yes, it is definitely not fun to get that confirming diagnosis. The only good thing is now you are done with that stage and can start to do something about treating it.
I don't know why there would be such a difference in size but I bet there is some explanation for that. Maybe the physical mass is 7x7 but only 3x3 of that mass is actively high metabolism. Only the high metabolism part will 'light up' on the PET scan. For me the sizes matched which meant the whole mass was active. I am just guessing, your oncologist will have to explain what is really going on. That is good that it has not spread too far. My lung mass was also lower right lobe but the PET scan showed I had a high metabolism mass in my right sinus, of all places. They had to remove that surgically and found it was not cancer, just some high metabolism mass growing there. Good to have it gone anyhow.
If the lymph nodes are all the very nearby Hilar nodes that is a little better but if some are the little further away Mediastinal nodes then that moves up the stage rating like from 2 to 3. Again that will have to come from your oncologist. Mine was stage 3B because I had both lymph node locations.
The sore throat from the biopsy sounds just like my experience, sore for several days but slowly fading away.
I'm very sorry to hear you are having constant pain and I wish your appointment was sooner to address that issue. I didn't have that. Could you see your regular doctor sooner?
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4 ReactionsI really don’t know why there are such discrepancies between mass size on pet scan and cat scan? Has anyone else had this happen and what would the explanation be?
I don’t know which lymph nodes are affected. The online report in patient portal is confusing. The dr that did the biopsy only said malignancy in lung and lymph nodes. He never verbally addressed the size of the mass but I can see it in the report. I really hope it’s the smaller size and not the 7 x 7 on cat scan
After getting my diagnosis yesterday of malignancy in lung and lymph nodes, I don’t meet with oncologist for two weeks but today they called back to set up consultation with radiologist.
Apparently that means radiation treatments. Can anyone tell me about their experience with radiation? Painful? Scary? How long does each treatment last? Side effects?
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1 ReactionThe prognosis for Lung Cancer has improved in recent years. The use of genetic testing can better zero in on what the best treatment is for each type of Lung Cancer. Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy are two important treatments that research has given us. My husband has been treated for Stage 3 Non Small Cell Lung Cancer, and he is almost at the two year cancer free mark for remission.
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3 ReactionsYou mentioned pain in the rib cage and back. My husband had a horrible cough and back pain in the rib cage area for a long time before his diagnosis. It turned out he had broken a rib from the intense coughing.
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2 ReactionsThank you so much for your message! I have not had a lot of responses. It sounds like they really do have a lot of targeted treatments now. I get my biopsy done on wednesday. I had the pet Scan done, but the pet Scan seem to think that the rate of uptake was more in line with inflammatory or infections process rather than neoplasty process. But it's sad that there's no guarantee that there's not an infection hiding cancer. This is a large area 5.7 cm. I'm really scared. Thank you so much for your email that's encouraging to read! I really appreciate it
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3 ReactionsThat is good to know. My lung cancer was stage 1 thankfully. But before I had PET Scan, decided that if I had evidence of metastasis, I would have surgery and nothing else. I am 72 , have no unfinished business and don’t want to spend my life undergoing cancer therapy. While I still feel that way, these many posts tell me there is a future.
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