Adenocarcinoma - newly diagnosed

I had an incidental finding on an xray; a CT and then a PET and biopsy. After being terrified and shocked through all of that, it was actually a relief to get the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma in my left lung. It was a relief to know what was going on because then I could take action. Hang in there. There is a lot that can be done to treat lung cancer.

Thanks @thieschafer. Have you had surgery and at what stage are you at? Are you from the Massachusetts area?

I had a robotic lobectomy; upper left lobe at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. I live in MN. Stage 1ac at the end of December 2022. Lymph nodes removed were negative for malignancy. Technically cancer free but will be watching it closely because I am still nervous. I was told at the Mayo Clinic that a lobectomy is the gold standard treatment for this stage. They also told me that my breathing capacity after surgery would be 80%. Recovery is a process and takes patience. Follow up CT in May.

The early diagnosis process is a whirlwind! Be sure to ask questions, understand each step, and don’t be afraid to ask for help in dealing with the emotional weight of the diagnosis. It’s a process that many of us have had to go through.
Did they do any biomarker testing on the biopsied tissue? Those results can help to determine what’s driving the cancer, and can impact treatment decisions.
Today’s lung cancer is very different than it was even 10 years ago, there have been so many advances.
Wishing you the best, take care, Lisa

Thanks Lisa...helpful. I'm not certain if they did a biomarker "(A paraffin block is sent to Integrated Oncology for OmniSeq studies)". This is what was stated the on the email results in my chart. I have not yet seen my Pulmonologist yet, so not sure but I assume that statement means biomarker testing??

This is all happening so quickly that I'm struggling to wrap my head around all of it...so taking one step at a time.

Sandy

Hi Sandy,

I got that diagnosis in June 2018. I had an upper right lobectomy using the daVinci robot which left very small scars. I have a hard time even finding one of them anymore. I've recovered almost all of my original lung capacity. My lung oncologist says that's because the remaining two lobes expand to fill the space.

Your doctors will want to perform whatever's needed as quickly as possible because data shows that gives you the best chance of survival. It feels a bit rushed, but it's for a good reason. Oncology has made great strides in the last 15 years or so. Today there are fewer side effects and much less discomfort. In my case, I continued working all through chemo and radiation, though I did schedule chemo for Friday so I could be down over the weekend.

The secret is to give yourself time. I'm kind of an overachiever and the best advice I received was to give myself permission to rest! Today, I work full time in a job I love, walk my dog regularly, participate in an annual stair-climb fundraiser, bought a new house on an acre of land, and give myself permission to rest when I'm tired. Oh, and this group is great for answering the questions you'll have. Best of luck!

I am so sorry that you have to go through this, but there are some great people on here with a lot of information and words of encouragement. Hopefully you'll be at an early stage. There's so much they can do right now. My pulmonologist told me that just in the last 3 years they've come so far with treatment options. January 5th I woke up in the middle of the night and started coughing up blood, I went to the emergency room and they did a CT scan to find a very large mass on my lung, obviously it was thought to be lung cancer. In the meantime they also found cancer on my intestine. They scheduled bronchoscopy and all of it turned out to be a huge massive infection. Actually two infections, I had Klebsiella pneumonia and I just found out about a week ago I have MAC, which is short for Mycobacterium Avium Complex which is a very rare and dangerous lung infection that can cause cavities or holes in your lung. I have one, it's 3.2 cm. I see infectious diseases tomorrow, surgery on the intestine on Saturday. It's just one day at a time!! Hang in there, ask tons of questions and be gentle with yourself. It's okay to cry, it's okay to laugh too. As a matter of fact laugh as much as possible. ❤️

Wow...you certainly have a lot on your plate. Good luck on your surgery. I look forward to hearing your results.

Sandy

Yes, that’s one of the biomarker testing companies.
Take one day at a time. Lisa

Wow, that's a lot to cope with. I am glad you have a positive outlook and I hope they can clear the infection and that the recovery from surgery goes well.