how worried should i be?

Sprocket
Sprocket Member Posts: 7
in Lung Cancer #1
So yesterday I had a ct scan to look for kidney stones, but the news I got was very unexpected. The image caught a glimpse of my lungs. The doctor has informed me that I have 2 nodules in the lower lobe of my right lung, one is 6.5mm the other 6mm. Now I have an appointment with my reg dr on monday, what should I be thinking? I have been told to wait 6 months and get another image taken to compair size. My thought, is if it is cancer then is it foolish to give it 6 months to grow? I don't know anything, I just know I'm scared, any thoughts from people with experience would be VERY appreciated.

Comments

  • Hope4Marge
    Hope4Marge Member Posts: 74
    #2
    So Sorry
    I know how scary that is. My mom had that happen to her. They gave her a biopsy almost immediatley after finding shadows on her right lung. Did they suggest a biopsy for you at all? I'm not sure waiting for another scan in 6 months is the greatest idea. Stay positive and ask more questions and perhaps get another opinion. Please keep us all posted. This is a great place to get support.
  • Sprocket
    Sprocket Member Posts: 7
    #3
    Hope4Marge said:

    So Sorry
    I know how scary that is. My mom had that happen to her. They gave her a biopsy almost immediatley after finding shadows on her right lung. Did they suggest a biopsy for you at all? I'm not sure waiting for another scan in 6 months is the greatest idea. Stay positive and ask more questions and perhaps get another opinion. Please keep us all posted. This is a great place to get support.

    No, they did not suggest a
    No, they did not suggest a biopsy, but I think that sounds better than sitting around for 6 months. I have a 2 year old daughter and a pregnant wife, I just feel waiting is not prudent. I always here dr's telling people they could have done more if they caught it earlier. My aunt died from breast cancer and my mother is in the middle of battling thyroid cancer so I know that news like this shouldn't be taken lightly, because you really never know.
  • Sprocket
    Sprocket Member Posts: 7
    #4
    Hope4Marge said:

    So Sorry
    I know how scary that is. My mom had that happen to her. They gave her a biopsy almost immediatley after finding shadows on her right lung. Did they suggest a biopsy for you at all? I'm not sure waiting for another scan in 6 months is the greatest idea. Stay positive and ask more questions and perhaps get another opinion. Please keep us all posted. This is a great place to get support.

    they did not suggest a biopsy
    Is a biopsy something I can demand or no? I really don't know how any of this stuff works, but I know I don't want to lose any time.
  • medi_2
    medi_2 Member Posts: 505 Member
    #5
    Sprocket said:

    they did not suggest a biopsy
    Is a biopsy something I can demand or no? I really don't know how any of this stuff works, but I know I don't want to lose any time.

    Heck yeah you can tell them!
    My tumor was caught by an x-ray of something else and the quick actions of my cancer team is one of the reasons that I have fully recovered. And the tumor was teensy! (tech term ;)). I had a biopsy within a week and was doing chemo and rads within a few weeks. The way they can tell the node is cancerous is by biopsy. And he wants to wait 6 months to see if grows??? Demand a biopsy; if they refuse high-tail it to another Doctor! You have a young family, make sure you do everything in your power to grow old with them.
    Just my two cents ;)
    Good luck!
    Medi
  • jwookie
    jwookie Member Posts: 14
    #6
    test it out
    Sorry to hear this. I think you should not wait for size increase cause my father being a doctor also waited and later was diagnosed positive in a later stage. But he had other symptoms too. I think you should go the whole nine yards (biopsy etc) to test this out and make sure you are on the right side. Monitoring is definitely there but sometimes the size would not grow much but cancer (if there) will spread to other parts of the body.
  • lekkerone
    lekkerone Member Posts: 199 Member
    #7
    Now
    I would insist on further investigation immediately. If your doc doesn't concur than find someone else. We have all heard too many stories about, "if we had caught it earlier" and we know how that goes. Good luck.
  • granny maggie
    granny maggie Member Posts: 15
    #8
    get a biopsy SAP
    Just to put your mind at ease you should definitely get a biopsy because in 6 months you'll be a wreck. I think 6 mm and 6.5 calls for action myself . Go to see a lung dr. and get his opinion I think they will give you the help you need. Take a copy of the ct scan with you. Wishing you all of best and we'll all be here for you it's a great bunch of people to get advise from.Keep in touch. Your in our prayers.
  • granny maggie
    granny maggie Member Posts: 15
    #9
    get a biopsy SAP
    Just to put your mind at ease you should definitely get a biopsy because in 6 months you'll be a wreck. I think 6 mm and 6.5 calls for action myself . Go to see a lung dr. and get his opinion I think they will give you the help you need. Take a copy of the ct scan with you. Wishing you all of best and we'll all be here for you it's a great bunch of people to get advise from.Keep in touch. Your in our prayers.
  • Sprocket
    Sprocket Member Posts: 7
    #10
    granny maggie said:

    get a biopsy SAP
    Just to put your mind at ease you should definitely get a biopsy because in 6 months you'll be a wreck. I think 6 mm and 6.5 calls for action myself . Go to see a lung dr. and get his opinion I think they will give you the help you need. Take a copy of the ct scan with you. Wishing you all of best and we'll all be here for you it's a great bunch of people to get advise from.Keep in touch. Your in our prayers.

    thank you!
    Thanks to everyone for all the advice, it is Greatly appreciated. I have a firm idea of what needs to be done now, I will update everyone after mondays appointment. Again, Thanks!
  • z
    z Member Posts: 1,414 Member
    #11
    Sprocket said:

    thank you!
    Thanks to everyone for all the advice, it is Greatly appreciated. I have a firm idea of what needs to be done now, I will update everyone after mondays appointment. Again, Thanks!

    Sprocket
    I had a 7mm lower right lung nodule, and the plan was to rescan in 3 months to see if it grew or disappeared. I had been treated and cured of anal cancer 6-30-09 and the nodule was caught in one of the follow up scans.

    Well, after 3 months it grew to 1 cm so the only way to determine if it is a cancer is a biopsy. Because this was so small the only way to get to it was in the operation room. When the nodule was removed a biopsy was done right there in the OR and it was found to be a squamous cell lung cancer. I had been a 35 year smoker until the anal cancer diagnoses and squamous cell is caused by smoking. It was not a metasis from the anal cancer. I had a lobectomy 9-23-10 and have had two scans since and everything is fine.

    The point here is that sometimes because a nodule is so small the needle biopsy might miss the nodule and get healthy tissue, so the alternative is to actually access the lung. Also when lung cancer is caught so early it is curable. Please keep us posted. Lori
  • She514
    She514 Member Posts: 47
    #12
    Dad
    My 83 yr old Dad's "shadow" was found in an xray, following week he was scheduled with a CT Scan, node was 8cm on his lung with multiple spots on his liver and one on his spine. Week 3 he was scheduled for biopsy. Now that it is confirmed non small cell lung cancer he will be informing his oncologist tomorrow what his decision for treatment is. Oncologist guesses the nodal has been there over a year.
    Best wishes to you that yours is nothing but it is better to be sure than wait.
  • cabbott
    cabbott Member Posts: 1,039 Member
    #13
    Waiting or surgery
    When I was scanned and found to have 1 nodule on my mid-right lung, they had me wait 3 months and then did a followup CAT scan. It seemed to have grown and so I had a biopsy which turned out to be lung cancer. Some nodules aren't lung cncer. Some are. Some things that aren't lung ancer can also kill. Some don't. The problem with biopsies is that they cause side effects, sometimes serious ones. So doctors like to make sure it is necessary if they have to go in. My sister the doctor(it is sooo cool to be able to have a doc in the family!) said that 3 months is a normal wait time and that I could work on getting or staying very healthy while I waited.

    If you don't want to wait, please take the time to check into getting a top notch thoracic surgeon. That alone may take a month, but don't panic about that. It will still be shorter than the 6 months. Ask about getting a VATS procedure if the biopsy requires an incision. VATS means video assisted thoracic surgery and only some surgeons can do it. It is like laproscopic surgery. The tissue removal capability is the same as general surgery, but the recovery time is markedly different. Some folks can't qualify for a VATS procedure, but believe me it is worth the drive to get one. Some folks can skip any major surgery at the biopsy stage. If the nodule is too far down and too far in(mine was), then the doctor has to operate to get it it. The surgeon can tell you what is best for you, but be prepared to ask about VATS procedures if your nodules are small and located in a hard to reach spot.

    Another question I would ask my doctors would be about getting a PET/CAT scan to see if any other areas are showing possible problems. Most doctors will want this before considering thoracic surgery anyhow. You will also have to have tests to determine your breathing functioning. You want to have the best possible lung functioning you can, so if you happen to smoke...well, you know how that sentence finishes. Smoking interferes with healing in any kind of surgery, even if it didn't contribute to lung disease.

    Finally, try hard to relax some. Whatever it is, it is. Some nodules are harmless. Some aren't. You are lucky to know you might have a problem and you are doing all that can be done by following up on whatever is there. It isn't lung cancer until the doctor sees it under the microscope. Good luck!
  • Sprocket
    Sprocket Member Posts: 7
    #14
    cabbott said:

    Waiting or surgery
    When I was scanned and found to have 1 nodule on my mid-right lung, they had me wait 3 months and then did a followup CAT scan. It seemed to have grown and so I had a biopsy which turned out to be lung cancer. Some nodules aren't lung cncer. Some are. Some things that aren't lung ancer can also kill. Some don't. The problem with biopsies is that they cause side effects, sometimes serious ones. So doctors like to make sure it is necessary if they have to go in. My sister the doctor(it is sooo cool to be able to have a doc in the family!) said that 3 months is a normal wait time and that I could work on getting or staying very healthy while I waited.

    If you don't want to wait, please take the time to check into getting a top notch thoracic surgeon. That alone may take a month, but don't panic about that. It will still be shorter than the 6 months. Ask about getting a VATS procedure if the biopsy requires an incision. VATS means video assisted thoracic surgery and only some surgeons can do it. It is like laproscopic surgery. The tissue removal capability is the same as general surgery, but the recovery time is markedly different. Some folks can't qualify for a VATS procedure, but believe me it is worth the drive to get one. Some folks can skip any major surgery at the biopsy stage. If the nodule is too far down and too far in(mine was), then the doctor has to operate to get it it. The surgeon can tell you what is best for you, but be prepared to ask about VATS procedures if your nodules are small and located in a hard to reach spot.

    Another question I would ask my doctors would be about getting a PET/CAT scan to see if any other areas are showing possible problems. Most doctors will want this before considering thoracic surgery anyhow. You will also have to have tests to determine your breathing functioning. You want to have the best possible lung functioning you can, so if you happen to smoke...well, you know how that sentence finishes. Smoking interferes with healing in any kind of surgery, even if it didn't contribute to lung disease.

    Finally, try hard to relax some. Whatever it is, it is. Some nodules are harmless. Some aren't. You are lucky to know you might have a problem and you are doing all that can be done by following up on whatever is there. It isn't lung cancer until the doctor sees it under the microscope. Good luck!

    thanks again
    I can't tell everyone how much I appreciate all the information and responses. I feel so much more confident about my appointment on monday. Always a good thing not to walk blindly into a tough situation. Thanks again to all of you, will keep you updated
  • stayingcalm
    stayingcalm Member Posts: 650 Member
    #15
    medi_2 said:

    Heck yeah you can tell them!
    My tumor was caught by an x-ray of something else and the quick actions of my cancer team is one of the reasons that I have fully recovered. And the tumor was teensy! (tech term ;)). I had a biopsy within a week and was doing chemo and rads within a few weeks. The way they can tell the node is cancerous is by biopsy. And he wants to wait 6 months to see if grows??? Demand a biopsy; if they refuse high-tail it to another Doctor! You have a young family, make sure you do everything in your power to grow old with them.
    Just my two cents ;)
    Good luck!
    Medi

    I second Medi-2
    ---and everyone else here!
  • Sprocket
    Sprocket Member Posts: 7
    #16
    Sprocket said:

    thanks again
    I can't tell everyone how much I appreciate all the information and responses. I feel so much more confident about my appointment on monday. Always a good thing not to walk blindly into a tough situation. Thanks again to all of you, will keep you updated

    The wait continues
    Appointment pushed back till tomorrow
  • NayPaul
    NayPaul Member Posts: 230 Member
    #17
    Sprocket said:

    The wait continues
    Appointment pushed back till tomorrow

    still much better
    Much better than waiting several months, the differnce of a few days is only (but still significant) an emotional one. Good luck, and glad u r getting a second opinion.
  • Sprocket
    Sprocket Member Posts: 7
    #18
    NayPaul said:

    still much better
    Much better than waiting several months, the differnce of a few days is only (but still significant) an emotional one. Good luck, and glad u r getting a second opinion.

    Primary dr hooked me up with
    Primary dr hooked me up with a lung doc, waiting to hear back for appointment date.
  • asuthrnbelle
    asuthrnbelle Member Posts: 2
    #19
    Sprocket said:

    Primary dr hooked me up with
    Primary dr hooked me up with a lung doc, waiting to hear back for appointment date.

    Sprocket are you there

    Amy updates? How did things turn out? Thank you.

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