Looking for answers!

BarbaraDe
BarbaraDe Member Posts: 18
in Lung Cancer #1

Hi.  I happened upon this website by chance.  After reading some of the postings I decided to join.  I have so many questions that my head is spinning and I do not know where to turn!  Please help if you can!  (Thank you in advance!)

 

I was diagnosed with uterine cancer on January 23rd, 2012.  I had a radical hysterectomy on March 1st, where they told me that I also had cervical cancer.  I had five weeks of external radiation and three weeks of internal radiation.  Everything seemed to be going well, but I was still having some diarrhea.  I went to an internist who thought I may have gallstones and he ordered an abdominal CAT scan.  Even though it was not a chest CT, it showed that there were two nodules on my lower lobes; a 2 mm one on one lobe and a 7 mm one on the other.  I went for a chest scan two weeks later.  The 2 mm one had grown to 3 mm and the 7 mm one had grown to 8 mm.  In addition, it showed “multiple bilateral nodules”…16 in all, of various sizes and in both lobes.  I also had a PET scan.  My internist said the PET scan was good and that nothing was malignant, but I still sent all the reports and the scans to my gynecological oncologist.  She said she believed the uterine cancer had metastasized to my lungs and sent me to a thoracic surgeon.  Long story short, I am having a biopsy on October 23rd, laparoscopic surgery. 

 

Here are some of my questions. 

 

The Internet can be a good thing…or a horrible thing!  Most things that I have read about uterine cancer that has metastasized to the lungs say it is a very poor prognosis…is that true???

 

If it is in the lungs, is it “lung cancer” or “uterine cancer”?  And what is the difference?

 

I never had a scan from my oncologist after the surgery (19 months ago)!  IS that common or should they have scanned me sooner…and if they did, would there maybe not have been so many “nodules”???

 

Both the thoracic and gynecological surgeons have said that they believe that the “nodules” are malignant (before the biopsy).  The thoracic surgeon said that he would do the biopsy but that since it is gynecological cancer, the other dr will determine the course of treatment.  He said the most likely course of treatment would be chemo because there are too many nodules for him to remove safely.

 

HELP!!  Many more questions but that is it for now so I can hopefully get some insight and answers form those who are going through this! 

 

Thanks for your help!!!

 

 

Comments

  • dennycee
    dennycee Member Posts: 857 Member
    #2
    Until you have the biopsy you

    Until you have the biopsy you will not know if it is a mets or new primaries.  all metastices are treated the same as the primary.  A uterine cancer that metastesizes to the lung is still a uterine cancer.  Chemos that work on lung cancer may not work on uterine cancer.  If for some reason it turns out to be a new lung primary find an oncologist who specializes in lung cancer.  

    Mets are considered bad because that means the cancerous cells are floating around in your blood and lymphatic systems.  Once there they get caught in the very small vessels and veins of the other organs where they attach and begin multiplying.  That said, it is not the end.  I have lung cancer with metastases to kidney, nodes and other lung.  That was diagnosed three years ago.  I'm doing exceptionally well.  While I am not the norm, there are people who participate here that were diagnosed with mets five and ten years ago.  

    While my knowledge of uterine cancer is somewhat limited, one of my besties mom has been dealing with it for 4 yrs.  they monitor her CA125 levels quite regularly.  I don't know how often they did the CTs.  This link is to a list of questions this website put on for cancer patients.  Go through it and pick the questions that apply to you and ask them.  Actually, print it out, there is room for you to write the answers.   Please let us know how your biopsy goes.  

    http://cancer.org/acs/groups/cid/documents/webcontent/003285-pdf.pdf

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