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Small lung nodule: Turned out to be cancer after 5 years monitoring

Posted by trip03 @trip03, May 2, 2022

Been following a lung nodule for about 5 years. It has been growing slowly. Reached a size of 9mm and was biopsied. Results where positive for cancer. Now what? I'm a somewhat healthy 66 year old male. Anyone been treated for a single small cancerous lung nodule?

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vic83 | @vic83 | May 13, 2022
In reply to @merpreb "It depends on the hospital, really because not even every CT scan is calibrated the same...." + (show)
@merpreb

It depends on the hospital, really because not even every CT scan is calibrated the same. My last SBRT targeted a 5MM lesion.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169500218304045

Curative lung cancers are a touchy story. It all depends on the surgeon or technician. I have had 2 SBRTs and 2 lobectomies. The suture line for my second lobectomy lit up in a PET scan. But I was also knicked in my pulmonary artery and that was messy with a lot of blood loss. So I'm not surprised. My hospital is a teaching hospital, it's in Boston. MGH (mass general).

I trust my surgeon to do the absolute best that he can for me so that I will not have any returning cancer. But even he isn't God, as much as I think of him as such. He has been my doctor for 25 years this year and for 25 years with my first cancer being a very fast-growing adenocarcinoma that was caught early.

I wish that I could advise you about lobectomies. How long do you think that you will play around waiting for a certain size?

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Good point about CT scans that are calibrated to pick up nodule size...I noticed the one they did before VAT surgery mentioned it had been calibrated to pick up nodules and in fact was more detailed that the original CT scan one month before at a different place. Regarding your 5mm size was that described as solid, part solid sub solid??

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vic83 | @vic83 | May 13, 2022
In reply to @trip03 "How was it removed?" + (show)
@trip03

How was it removed?

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They did bronchoscopy and EBUS needle biopsy and followed that with Video Assisted Thoracic surgery wedge resection, all in one sitting. I spent two nights in hospital and then went home, driving after a week. It was 3.1 cm stage 1b cancer

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trip03 | @trip03 | May 16, 2022
In reply to @colleenyoung "Hi @trip03, I wanted to check back in with you to see how things are going...." + (show)
@colleenyoung

Hi @trip03, I wanted to check back in with you to see how things are going. What were the results of the bone lesion from your shoulder? Do you know if the lung nodule is lung cancer or what type? Would love an update.

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Hello. Bone lesion was non related to lung nodule and mostly non cancerous. Lung nodule is non small cell cancer. I'm scheduled for a lung lobectomy this week as the lobe has other small nodules as well.

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1 reply
Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | May 17, 2022
In reply to @trip03 "Hello. Bone lesion was non related to lung nodule and mostly non cancerous. Lung nodule is..." + (show)
@trip03

Hello. Bone lesion was non related to lung nodule and mostly non cancerous. Lung nodule is non small cell cancer. I'm scheduled for a lung lobectomy this week as the lobe has other small nodules as well.

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Trip- What does mostly non-cancerous mean? I wish you the best with your lobectomy. I know that you must feel very scared right now so know that we are all with you!

Don't rush things post-op. You have a great attitude which will serve you very well!

Merry

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1 reply
trip03 | @trip03 | May 17, 2022
In reply to @merpreb "Trip- What does mostly non-cancerous mean? I wish you the best with your lobectomy. I know..." + (show)
@merpreb

Trip- What does mostly non-cancerous mean? I wish you the best with your lobectomy. I know that you must feel very scared right now so know that we are all with you!

Don't rush things post-op. You have a great attitude which will serve you very well!

Merry

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I really don't know what I meant by that either. It was explained to me that they are confident enough that the bone lesion is not related to the lung cancer so they are moving forward with lobectomy. The tissue sample was sent to the university of Miami for further analysis. Small chance it could be a unrelated cancer but very unlikely. I'm still interested in hearing your thoughts, from earlier posts as to what you would do.

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1 reply
Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | May 17, 2022
In reply to @trip03 "I really don't know what I meant by that either. It was explained to me that..." + (show)
@trip03

I really don't know what I meant by that either. It was explained to me that they are confident enough that the bone lesion is not related to the lung cancer so they are moving forward with lobectomy. The tissue sample was sent to the university of Miami for further analysis. Small chance it could be a unrelated cancer but very unlikely. I'm still interested in hearing your thoughts, from earlier posts as to what you would do.

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Trip- For the life of me I can't remember what you are referring to as what I would do. Are you referring to more lesions? More problems with your heart? The lesion on your shoulder?

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1 reply
trip03 | @trip03 | May 17, 2022
In reply to @merpreb "Trip- For the life of me I can't remember what you are referring to as what..." + (show)
@merpreb

Trip- For the life of me I can't remember what you are referring to as what I would do. Are you referring to more lesions? More problems with your heart? The lesion on your shoulder?

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I believe it was in regards to surgery vs radiation as at that time I felt I still had options. Since the bone lesion is benign it now seems like a no brainer to have the lobectomy and be done with it. Thank you, things change fast.

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Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | May 17, 2022
In reply to @trip03 "I believe it was in regards to surgery vs radiation as at that time I felt..." + (show)
@trip03

I believe it was in regards to surgery vs radiation as at that time I felt I still had options. Since the bone lesion is benign it now seems like a no brainer to have the lobectomy and be done with it. Thank you, things change fast.

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In your case, I agree that a lobectomy is a wise choice. In my case, I have no other nodules in my right upper lung. To remove the whole thing would also put me in danger of changing my life. I have just about 1 lung left and I'm not on O2. I don't limit what I do physically so I don't want to be put in that position!

So my opinion is that you are-did-the right thing!

Yay yoou!

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