Question

cabbott said:

Two kinds of cancer
I am both a breast cancer (stage 1 in 2002) and lung cancer (stage 1 in 2006) survivor. Fortunately for me, my breast cancer was the non aggressive sort that rarely leaves the breast and all my nodes were negative. Even more fortunate for me, my oncologist insisted on doing a biopsy when a chest xray (done because I had bronchitis that just wouldn't clear up) showed a spot on my right lung. Some doctors would have immediately jumped to the conclusion that my cancer had spread and I needed chemo for stage 4 breast cancer. My doc insisted we look at whatever it was under a microscope before he ordered chemo. I have read repeatedly on the breast cancer board that it isn't cancer until it shows up under the microscope. Well, sometimes even more tests are needed to find out what kind of cancer it is. I was at a university hospital that did micro-genetic testing and found out I had stage 1 lung cancer, not breast cancer, stage 4. Their testing helped my doctors order the right treatment and I'm doing great so far. I'm not sure what I have is better or worse than stage 4 breast cancer. After all, there are many great treatments for breast cancer (even the advanced kind) that just don't exist yet for lung cancers. But I'm glad I didn't go through 9 months of chemo only to have it be the wrong medicine and treatment plan for what I had. Actually surgery is the best treatment for the kind of lung cancer I had. Sometimes a spot that shows up on a scan isn't even cancer at all. A patient my surgeon operated on a week earlier than my operation(also a breast cancer survivor with a spot on her lung) had TB, not stage 4 breast cancer. She needed heavy antibiotics for several months but not chemo. Sometimes lung infections can cause weird scans.

In your case, the best thing to do is ask your doctors. Ask the radiologist what she thinks. Her report (or his if it is a guy) belongs to you and you can get a copy from the hospital usually without charge. Ask your primary physician and of course your oncologist and breast surgeon. If they think it might be a lung situation like lung cancer, ask the thoracic surgeon his or her opinion. Some doctors will want to biopsy or do a PET scan or PET/CAT scan. Others will want to wait 3 months and repeat the scan to see if the problem has grown. They may have some other tests to help them decide what kind of problem you are dealing with. Don't panic! Naming the enemy is half the battle. Knowing what you are dealing with gives you the advantage in the fight for health and wellness. Then your doctors can order the right treatment to do the most good. Good luck!