1. < Lung Cancer

Has anyone in this group undergone surgery for removal? Is it working?

Posted by annallee @annallee, Jun 21 1:25pm

I was recently diagnosed with stage 2 adenocarcinoma lung cancer in my upper left lung. Much to my surprise, the surgeon says he plans to take the whole upper left quadrant of my lungs! I thought they would only take out the 2 spots that were found. Does this sound normal? I know I will survive with missing a part of my lung, but what else should I expect? I was also told that follow up chemo is not likely, but may do so as a preventative.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Lung Cancer Support Group.

Mentor
Lisa, Volunteer Mentor | @lls8000 | Jun 23 11:32am
In reply to @donniehanberry "Six years ago I had the upper lobe of my right lung removed along with a..." + (show)
@donniehanberry

Six years ago I had the upper lobe of my right lung removed along with a dozen or so lymph nodes due to Squamous Cell Carcinoma. After pathology I was told that the doctors got it at Stage 1A and I recovered to no ill effects even with forty years of smoking and COPD.

I'm lucky that I don't use oxygen, inhalers or any breathing aids and I am 85 years old.

Donnie Hanberry

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Welcome to Mayo Connect Donnie (@donniehanberry)!, you have an inspirational story. I'm glad that you found our group.

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samiam1949 | @samiam1949 | Jun 28 7:55am
In reply to @char09 "I will have the lower left lobe removed in 2 weeks due to adenocarcinoma lung cancer...." + (show)
@char09

I will have the lower left lobe removed in 2 weeks due to adenocarcinoma lung cancer. My doctor discussed 3 options with me, but given where the cancer is located and my age(78), robotic lung cancer surgery removing the entire lower lobe is less invasive and more precise and can lead to faster recovery times with the best chance of removing all the cancer. Searching on the internet is useful, but can also point out many scary opinions that don’t apply to my situation. I will rely on the trained professionals advice while doing some research on my own. I’m trying to face my situation with a positive attitude so I can recover quickly. So helpful to read what others have experienced.

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I also am having a lower left lobectomy in less than a month. I also am trying to stay positive. I wish you a fast recovery!

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loulou2023 | @loulou2023 | Jun 29 8:46pm

I also had my upper left lobe removed in 2014. My breathing was not really affected by the lung removal. I know it was the correct decision. No radiation or chemo was necessary.
Make the most of the opportunity you have to go on and enjoy your life!!! I consider myself very fortunate!

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Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | 5 days ago

@annallee, I hope you've read all the helpful replies from many members and that you feel more confident going forward with treatment. Do you have any follow-up questions? Has your surgery been scheduled?

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samiam1949 | @samiam1949 | 4 days ago

I am having lower left lobe removed. If your thoracic surgeon is removing an upper left lobe and not doing a resection, it might be because it is positioned in the middle like mine. It is not always possible to remove just the sections with cancer.
I wish you luck with your surgery!

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minnie528 | @minnie528 | 1 day ago
In reply to @flusshund "@annalee, yes, it's a big surprise when you first hear your doctors want to remove the..." + (show)
@flusshund

@annalee, yes, it's a big surprise when you first hear your doctors want to remove the whole lobe, but it's very common. In the past, like in 2018, they almost never took out just a piece of the lobe. Nowadays, it happens, but it's still rare. You'd have to ask your oncologist what qualifies for removing less than the whole lung lobe.

I was diagnosed with Stage 2b and had my upper right lobe removed using robotic-assisted surgery using the da Vinci II robot. I can't even find the 4th little scar most days. And it's a good thing they did take the whole lobe because they found out the cancer had already metastasized to a nearby lymph node.

The original plan was surgery with no chemo or radiation. But because it metastasized, I had 4 rounds of chemo. The cut line also stained positive for cancer cells, so I had 33 rounds of chemo.

Life expectancy is much higher when they do the initial surgery as quickly as possible. I now give talks on lung cancer awareness and the importance of prescreening. In my talks, I describe the days after diagnosis as "the whirlwind" because it sure feels like that. Sound like your doctor has the right plan

My nonsmokers lung cancer metastasized to my brain 2 years later, and I had to have brain surgery. In that case, they DID just remove the cancerous cyst and not the entire brain lobe. 🙂 Also, realize that cancer care, especially lung cancer care, has made HUGE strides in the last 10-15 years. I have the EGFR Exon 19 mutation and take a daily pill. I also had zero nausea during chemo.

Good luck with your surgery. Let us know how to goes and what comes next for you.

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May I ask, what is The cut line also stained positive for cancer cells?

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1 reply
Matthew K | @flusshund | 1 day ago
In reply to @minnie528 "May I ask, what is The cut line also stained positive for cancer cells?" + (show)
@minnie528

May I ask, what is The cut line also stained positive for cancer cells?

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@minnie528, yes, you may. 🙂

I had an upper right lobectomy, so the cut line was where the surgeon cut between the upper and middle lobes. My cyst was towards the bottom of the upper lobe. I honestly don't know if they applied this "stain" to the bottom of the lobe they had removed or if the surgeon applied it to the top of the middle lobe during the surgery. Either way, the stain's reaction told my doctors that I still had cancer cells there.

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