lung nodule...what to do?

Mary_arod

Let me start the saying I'm new to the site, but wishing I'd really found it sooner. Let me start by telling you a little bit about myself I'm 54 years old with the history of thyroid cancer in 2003. During that same time my father was discovered to have multiple myeloma and was in the hospital 2 months before passing away. My mother had kidney cancer, my sister had cervical cancer both of them had surgeries and did very well. Now with my thyroid cancer I really didn't feel well and lost so much energy and just could not do all the things I loved they felt something in my neck and sent me to have an ultrasound which showed a very tiny nodule I had to wait a year for it to get big enough to biopsy and at that time they found two when they did an ultrasound. The biopsy showed that it was suspicious. So I was scheduled for surgery to remove the left side that had the nodules surgery went great I had a really good surgeon but he told my husband that he did not see any cancer. He had told me that my chance of having cancer was 1% my response shocked him when I said you just confirmed that I have cancer. The next morning it came back that I did have cancer a week later we got the pathology report that it had metastasized. 10 days later I underwent a second surgery to remove the right lobe and again same story looked good but it was cancer. So the doctor only saw two nodules but after the surgery that turned out there were five and they were all cancerous of which some had metastasized. A few months ago my younger brother also had his kidney removed for cancer. Cancer runs through so many of my family on both sides it is just overwhelming.

So jumping to now I've been having pain in my right side so they did a cat-scan without contrast and saw nothing now a few weeks later they did another CAT scan with contrast and told me they still saw nothing so when I read my report it reads stable small 5 mm subpleural nodule in the left lung base. I don't have a clue as to what this means and I'm shocked that they just didn't even mention it so that I wouldn't go crazy when I saw it. I do know that I'm I am at high risk for other cancers. Lung cancer has never been on my radar. If there is a chance that this is lung cancer I want to catch it as early as possible and not wait it is something that waiting to find out will drive me crazy. I do know they say it's common for some people to get a nodule in there lung. But I really feel like I need to know. The CAT scans were done through the emergency room, what type of doctor do I need to follow up with to have them explain this to me or check on it. Know that I do have a lot of multiple medical issues besides having the history of cancer I have diabetes I have severe arthritis fibromyalgia, lupus, asthma, sleep apnea... The list goes on. Not feeling sorry for myself mind you I just need to know which direction to go to have this nodule checked out and have it taken seriously. I am open to all your thoughts

Thank you.

jorola

a biospy is the only way

to confirm if this is cancerous or not. You are very right - many people get lung nodules. The can be cause from scarring from diseases or trauma, infections, every arthritis. I am sorrry for all you have lost and been through. COnsidering your medical history/cureent conditions it would not be surprising you have one. However I would continue to follow up with your drs on this. At least monitor it for growth and if there is any get a biopsy done.