spot on lung

[horses1016]

My mother in law was dx w/ lung cancer in the spring of 2007. She had surgery to remove the tumor. In Jan of 2008 she had a check up along with a pet scan and was told that there are 3 new spots on her lung. She was told that they wanted to watch and see what happened b/c it could be trauma from the surgery....etc. She was told they wanted to do another scan in June. Is it advisable to wait and see or should she seek a 2nd opinion? Thanks

[PaulMD]

Good day horses1016.  The appearance of the lesions on the PET scan will help much in the decision.  If the PET scan result commits that the lesions are most likely malignant, then I agree that you may need a second opinion.  However, there are PET scan results that are "non-committing" with terms such as "probable" or "suspicious" for malignancy.  In this case, you have the option to observe, or undergo further testing (such as going for an invasive biopsy procedure which carries its own risks).  For lung cancer, long-interval observation can be risky and I suggest you discuss with her doctor if you can shorten the observation period, or undergo more diagnostic procedures.  It is also prudent to watch out for any new symptoms and to promptly report such to your physician.  Hope this helps.