Nodule in the Upper Right Lobe near the Hilum....... Advice Please????

EJmauldin said:

Nodes 2
I have nodes that chemo didn't get rid of, now they are talking radiation. They said they were to near my heart. That there were to many, I tought I only had 2 that they were talking about. I guess I will do what they tell me. I always try to check out all my opps.
I didn't think of cyber knife. I am going to look into it. Thanks
Eileen

Be Cautious...
Hi Eileen

Please be careful and seek out another opinion before letting them do radiation near your heart.

Radiation has a way of frying everything in its path and there are valves around the heart that could be damaged permanently. My uncle had this done and ended up with open heart surgery, but he was lucky that they caught it in time, or it would have been much worse. The radiation had burned some valves and aortas and there were leaks from the damage done.

Definitely get another opinion before you jump head long into this - not trying to scare you, but keeping it real from real family experience.

CyberKnife might be a good option as the radiation there is more closely distributed than an external beam of radiation.

Best of luck and keep us posted.

-Craig

I've had two lung surgeries
I've had two lung surgeries done at Stanford for mets. Both were open and I loved the thoracic surgeon. They were not as hard for me to come back from as the liver surgery. I still ski and surf and after the two months recovery all was well. I believe you get surgery ASAP. I was at first upset he did not do it VATS but he said he liked to palpate the lungs for anything that he could not see on the CT scans.
Good luck
Chip

nodes near/in hillium
Hi Jennie
My experience w/ hilliar area lung mets.......the long version:
I was dx w/ rectal ca 1/2007, had rad, zeloda and then j pouch surgery. The surgeon said there was NO cancer found in the tissue he removed. Whoopee.

I went thru Folfox as a mopup move. Then immediately they noticed a spot in my lung....the cells had travelled, darn. So I had a wedge resection 8/2008 of my right lung. Again they said they got it all. It was small, can't recall but under a cm.

Went thru Folfiri for six months then two months after I stopped, another spot in the same lung, same hillar area appeared. Persistent, huh. Had another wedge resection8/2009 and they removed three mets and a string of lymph nodes.

Nine months later another met less than 1 cm in the same hillar area and I just got out of the hospital two days ago 7/10 They took out the upper lobe of my right lung this time. I had the choice of radiation, chemo or watchful waiting

I am being treated at an NCI University Hospital Cancer Center and my case was presented at Tumor Board. My radiation onc, medical onc, and cardiothoracic surgeon all felt surgery was the best choice.
I don't know why yours wouldn't be resectable; possibly you need to consult a different surgeon, one that specializes in lungs . I think i depends how close to the aorta it is. My surgeon does lung transplants etc is a professor of surgery and la de da credentials at major teaching hospital at UCSan Diego Moores Cancer Center.

On www.pubmed.gov there are articles about surgery for lung mets and I understand if you only have a few then surgery may be appropriate. They usually follow up w/ chemo afterwards. Once I did and once I didn't and they both returned; not sure what I'll do this time. Maybe wait and watch and if it returns then decide. On pubmed it reports some folks having three surgeries and then NED for years..........

Best prayers for a good decision and wise doctors for you.........
Serrana
Survivor for 3 1/2 years of stage IV which everyone said was stage 0 Who knew????