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

A PET scan should show if it is possibly cancerous with the FDG uptake and SUV reading. Have you been tested for a mutation? That is very important too, because if you have one, there is targetted therapy in a daily pill for that. Just writing from my experience. Good luck to you, I know how stressful this is.

Marcia, I believe your question "How does it happen you have had 5 lung cancers?" was meant for @merpreb who has Multifocal Adenocarcinoma of the lung. She explains in this discussion:

- Multifocal Adenocarcinoma of the lung, continual recurrences https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/multifocal-adenocarcinoma-of-the-lung-continual-recurrences/

Did see my oncologist yesterday Sept 9th. PET scan showed its contained in my upper right lung. Surgery is the plan of action so waiting on surgeon to call with date. Have no breathing problem but keeps coughing a bringing up mucus. Any suggestions of where I should go from here? Need to get started on this right away. Think I’ve cried too many tears now.

Unfortunately waiting for surgery dates is common. The thoracic oncologist must review your information with the thoracic surgeon, the anesthesiologist, others on your team....then set a date according to the surgeon's schedule....it can be weeks. I hope you are with a cancer facility/hospital....re the coughing, perhaps your doctor can prescribe something for your coughing.....also something to ease your anxiety. I am sorry but waiting for everything is common. I was 2 months from diagnosis to surgery.

I had a lung needle biopsy 10 days ago .
I have written down the advice on the genomic and or nuclear study before a suggestion of
Chemo; not sure that will happen yet.
The pet scan showed I have many nodules in my lungs that are growing. New ones since the last
pet scan.
They finally were able to do a needle biopsy on one nodule and found it to be cancer.
What type is unknown to me at this time; I hope to know this when I meet with my oncologist next week.
The doctor feels the cause of the many nodules, is from the mastectomy I had a year ago.
Thank you all for sharing your experiences, so helpful to me .
Donna Patterson

Hi Donna, how are you doing? May I ask what you learned at your appointment with the oncologist? Is it lung cancer or breast cancer that has spread? Or something else?

Hi Colleen, My appointment was a little over a week ago. At that appointment
I was told that I have metastatic breast cancer stage 4. that has gone into my lungs.
The doctor said I will be taking a chemo pill .
She also put me on a hormone blocker. Called Exemestane 25mg.
I am still waiting for the approval of a chemo pill.
Once I take this pill for three months, she will order a Pet Scand to see if the chemo pill is
stopping the progression of cancer.
The doctor is waiting for an additional mutation study which will not be available. until
mid-October.
This study, as I understand, will identify more information on the chemo pill??????
The mutation study is for--EFGR, which I do not understand.
The waiting is horrible to get the approval for the first chemo pill.
This is all that I know at this time.

Those biomarker tests take far too long to come back. It sounds like the doctor is making sure the lung cancer isn’t driven by a non-breast cancer mutation, EGFR, ALK, etc. There are pills to treat those specific types of cancers that can be very effective with minimal side effects (called targeted therapy). Waiting for those tests is a good idea, if you are tolerating the symptoms of the cancer, even though the waiting can be so difficult.
Wishing you the best, and speedy results, Lisa

9/26/22
hi Coleen, thank you for your very helpful remarks. It helps me not be too anxious.
I have called my doctor's nurse and am waiting for her response.
She will need time to find out why I have not heard from the pharmacy.
I will let you know what I find out; thank you again.

Hi Lisa, I just sent a response to who I thought was Coleen, thinking it was her responding to me.
Sorry about that; I m just not paying attention right now.