Lung net with COPD treatment options

Posted by pantfan @pantfan, May 28 1:06pm

62 y old female, had slow growing lung nodule watched over 10+ years. Diagnosed with asthma and later COPD due to chronic cough during the same period. In Sept 25 came down with nausea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite. Since I lost 20lbs over the past year, my pulmonologist ordered PET scan which showed the 1.3 mm nodule LLL nodule and 0.6 RML nodule with low uptake. The lung CT also showed multiple small nodules in both lungs (possible DIPNECH). I had biopsy on the larger nodule in Feb 26 which showed a low grade NET with no lymph node spread. Biopsy could not determine if typical vs atypical, or if I have DIPNECH. It said only surgery can determine that. The surgeon suggested wedge resection. Had second opinion at NYUL, where the tumor board recommended surgery; per surgeon segmentctomy with possible lobectomy.
My FEV1 is 54%, DLCO 106. My concern is the reduction in FEV1 and overall pulmonary function after surgery resection. It seems that FEV1 declines by 10-15% and it does not return to pre-surgery level. I am not having any respiratory symptoms except for occassional cough. I am worried about my quality of life post surgery and wondering about other options. None of the doctors I saw was willing to consider RF, MW or cryo ablation of the tumor. Can anyone with COPD describe their surgery experience and post surgery recovery?

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