Newly diagnosed with lung cancer. Never smoked. In shock....

As with anything relating to what one should or shouldn't do with cancer diagnosis and treatment one must check with one's doctor first.

I was in the middle of biopsies, bronchospies CT scans, MRIs etc when I would get together with friends and have this lovely Margie. I was in the waiting game and this helped me stay positive and retain my sense of humor. BTW, this was too big for 90 lb me to finish but luckily one of my pals was right there to finish it off. 😀

Dee
They did take samples and sent them away for testing
Hopefully i get results this week!
The margarita looks fabulous!!
🙂
Amy

Yes, welcome to the club no one wants to be a member of.

My story had started with annually participating in the American Lung Association's Fight for Air Climb since 2015. I started raising money for the ALA after a dear friend died of lung cancer. I thought it was quite ironic that I, myself, was diagnosed three years later. I was 58 at the time, and, yes, very shocked!

I've raised so much money in eight years of fundraising, ALA sends me research updates. Non-smoker's lung cancer is the most quickly growing type of lung cancer and now forms 20-25% of new lung cancer diagnoses. Sheesh! Who knew? Fortunately, there have been large gains in treating this form of cancer, and life expectancy has risen significantly within the last five years.

I had my upper right lobe removed robotically, but my margins were not clean. I had 33 rounds of radiation and 4 of chemo. I have a registered dietician friend who recommended a lot of fruits and veggies for the phytonutrients. Today, I follow the Mediterranean diet.

As an athlete, you may need the advice my psychiatrist friend gave me which is that, following all the treatments, you'll need to give yourself permission to rest. Your body will need time to recover. That doesn't mean you need to become a slug. I climbed the equivalent of 87 flights of stairs four months to the day after I finished chemo, setting a personal record for slowness in the process. Lol! I mentally removed any time goal. When I was winded, I rested. I had also found a physical therapist who focused on releasing the fascia, emphasizing the M.E.L.T. method and myofascial release. I still practice MELT. She also encouraged me to eat at least a small green salad every day. The greens help to reduce inflammation.

I still work full-time as a NASA rocket scientist. Also, my wife and I just bought a new house with a plan to pay it off in 12 years. So I'm expecting to be around for a while! Hang in there! Lung cancer is no longer a death sentence. Stay positive! I wish you all the best!

@flusshund- Good morning! It's been a while since we have spoken. How are you? I tried finding the stats that you cited about the number of non-smokers getting lung cancer and couldn't find it. WHere did you see this?

Hi everyone. Went to my doc for a routine physical. Did an ex-ray and discover something on my right lung. Followed with CT scan. Next I was sent to do a cytology study. Found a -Non-small cell carcinoma consistent with squamous cell carcinoma. Was told it was not aggressive. In August i did a PET scan that shows it has grown rapidly. I’m scared to death. Losing weight so fast. Can anyone offer some advice? Due to see my oncologist in a few days to discuss treatment

Welcome @overcomercynth. I can imagine that you're scared. This is all happening so fast.

You'll notice that I moved your message to this existing discussion that @aksinspringfield started. She was in a similar state of shocked just a few months ago.
- Newly diagnosed with lung cancer. In shock.... https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/newly-diagnosed-never-smoked-in-shock/

I did this so you can read some of the previous posts and easily connect with fellow members like @flusshund @dedehans @corgimenow @ta52 @ginabilleter and many more.

As you wait for your upcoming appointment in a few days to discuss treatments options, I'm sure you're making a list of questions to ask. Cynth, did you have surgery already and this appointment is to discuss post-surgery treatment?

Cynth
The six days between my diagnosis and treatment consultation with my oncologist were the six worst days of my life. But my oncologist finished that Initial meeting by saying "I have every confidence in the world that this treatment is going to work for you" and that was two years ago. We have made tremendous progress in the treatment of cancer and we, the patients, are the beneficiaries.

Cynth....for starters, please find a thoracic oncologist affiliated with a hospital or clinic that deals specifically with cancer....Don't know where you live but Mayo (Rochester MN and Jacksonville Fl) Moffitt (mine) Tampa, FL, MD Anderson (Houston), MGH (Mass general) Boston, Memorial Sloan Kettering (NYC) John's Hopkins (Baltimore) are just a handful of the best. I would do so asap. It is worth the effort. Please let us know what you decide to do. We all know how scary it is but taking action helps ease the helplessness feeling. We are here to be supportive and helpful. hugs to you

I'd like to also welcome you to Mayo Connect. Oh, I know that fear. Receiving the news that you have cancer is one of the scariest things to hear. I've survived 5 lung cancers. One is recent and I'm off to a teaching hospital like Mayo on the east coast to be treated.

I'm relieved to hear that you will be seeing an Oncologist in a few days. Any questions that you have, write down and make sure that they are answered. You have a right to have all your questions answered.

I know that there seems to be a trend in cytology testing. If your doctor is not a thoracic specialist then he should review the results and make sure that they are backed up by other means. It seems that the results of this test have potential mimics and pitfalls.

Since I'm not a doctor I can only relay scientific information through what professionals have found from reputable resources. This article is from NIH.

"the advancement in the understanding of molecular mechanisms of lung cancer and the recent identification of mutation. It explains that it might be more accurate for doctors to use. Your oncologist can explain it to you. With the advancement in the understanding of molecular mechanisms of lung cancer and the recent identification of mutations, other tests might be "

The following questions relate to general questions that you can ask your new doctor.

Rely on your strength to get yourself through these next few weeks. What have you done in the past to get through very scary situations? Use those. You might also find new ones.

With my first cancer, I lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks just from nerves. Whatever wives' tales that you have heard about cancer, especially lung cancer, don't believe them unless you have checked them out. In the past 10-20 years there has been a huge leap in every facet of lung care and cancer. There are many questions that are probably running through your mind. Are there any specific ones? What else may I help you with right now?

Merry

I had Lung cancer 1 year ago and they went in and took it out, I just had my
cat scan which you have every 6 months, and now they see something in my same
lung, so this week I go for a pet scan. I do go to Mayo for all my doctors. I just hope
it is scar tissue in my mind. I am not thinking about it till I have the test on wed. How
does it happen you have had 5 lung cancers? I have had a lot of melanoma too much on
my face and legs, but I was a sun worshipper so I could understand that. what makes it
keep growing in the lung?