Squamous Cell Carcinoma with HPV 18/16 (high risk) detected in the lung tumor!

Judemo

Hello all! I used to be on the older CSC network discussion group when I was diagnosed with Stage 1B Cervical adenocarcinoma in 2014, had a radical hysterectomy and that was all that was needed. Then I got breast cancer (2021), early stage, with bilateral mastectomy and that was all that was needed. THEN I started having right side pain this past summer (2023) so my GYN Oncologist ordered Abdominal CT that incidentally showed lung nodules, so they recommended PET Scan of the lungs. So, after two Pet Scans, a lung biopsy and a bronchoscopy, I was diagnosed with early stage squamous cell carcinoma in my right lung. BUT!!! the shocker is: the lung nodule (2 cm) had HPV high risk (HPV 18 and 16) detected!! So the tumor board is trying to figure out if this is a late metastasis from my cervical cancer back in 2014. My new Pulmonary Doc wants to do surgery very soon (Thoracotomy, which I know is super painful and I'm scared about that), but had me meet with a Ear Nose and Throat DR to rule out head, throat and neck HPV cancer (which was ruled out) and now I will be visiting my GYN Oncologist next week. 

Has anyone had a similar situation? The docs all seem baffled that my lung cancer was also positive for HPV!!

P.S. I'm very nervous and scared about having the thoracotomy to remove the lung nodule in my right lower lobe. It has grown to be around 2.5 cm. When I had my abdominal CT back in May of this year the nodule was about 1.6 cm and since then has grown - that is why the pulmonary DR wants to do surgery sooner than later. My first lung biopsy did not actually hit the nodule and so didn't get any of the nodule tissue, that is why I had to have a bronchoscopy that was successful in getting a diagnosis.

P.S.S. What is it like to recover from a thoracotomy to remove lung cancer?

Thanks for reading this!