Mass on lung and lymph nodes

Thanks for your feedback @mddan216 . I’m going to be 60 this month. Even though I blame myself for this (smoker) it still comes as such a shock and the fact that I brought this on myself fills me with shame. I’m glad to hear that you are doing ok one year after diagnosis. Did you have symptoms that caused you to go in to be checked? I had coughing and pain in shoulder blade extending to ear.

I'll be 74 in two months, diagnosed with NSCLC stage 4 in September 2021. I had a bronchoscopy to determine if I had a mutation and sure enough, it came back as EGFR 19 deletion which enabled me to start targeted therapy (pill) in December 2021. I just had quarterly CT scan yesterday and all that remains is a 4mm nodule in the lower right lobe - where it all started - and a few scattered sub-4mm nodules in both lungs. Lymph nodes that were affected are now normal, one metastases to brain was handled by one session of radiosurgery, and lesions to left iliac bone and T9 vertebrae were taken care of by the targeted therapy I take. I know it's scary and very overwhelming but take a deep breath, write down any and all questions that you have and advocate for yourself every step of the way. Try hard to remain positive because positivity really impacts your health in a good way. Gld bless you.

Thank you to each of you who replied to my post. It helps to talk to others who have been through this and going through it now. The next few weeks will be so scary - getting biopsy and Pet scan. So convinced I’m in late stage widespread cancer. I almost can’t bear to hear the results or face what’s to come. Hanging on to my faith and the one day at a time approach.

@detroitmom23
Many people have been right where you are now and it is indeed a very scary time. My time was in Feb 2022. I have a lung tumor and two lymph nodes that are cancer, stage 3B. I had a biopsy where they go down through the windpipe and get samples from the lung and lymph nodes and it was not bad at all. It was nowhere near as bad as my imagination. I was scaring myself. Later I had a new spot show up and they did a CT guided needle biopsy through my back and that was very quick and painless. I find it amazing what they can do these days with very little trauma to the patient.
I told my son all about my diagnosis immediately and was very glad I did. He has been great support for me - the best. I wish you the best in this trying time.

I had a ct guided biopsy and it was very quick and easy, same day ordeal usually. They will give you some pain meds. My nodule was at the very top of my right lung. This was in 2021. Im still here fighting the good fight!

many thanks!!!

I am scheduled for a follow up CT Scan in April and I try not to think about a reoccurrence.
Wish you lots of luck!

so I have the same thing but am running about 2 months after you.... entering chemo immunology therapy stage prior to surgery to remove the tumor and impacted lymph glands in my upper lung.... are you continuing with follow up post surgery to make sure there is no more cancer and thank you

I had a CT guided biopsy last September and it was painless. They usually administer Fentanyl and Versed. The latter essentially has the effect of erasing any memory of the procedure. My biopsy was positive for cancer and I had a left upper lobectomy in November.
I know what a stressful time this is and I just tried to take it a step at a time and not project into the future. I pray that you can do the same.