Aa
lung cancer
My mom is 79 years old had a mass removed and 2/3 of her right lung in 2004. Recently had bronchitis and ordered a chest x-ray which came back with a nodule on her left lower lung.She then had a cat scan, and now awaiting results. I am not sure but I think they said it is 16-17 cm or milileters, not sure how it is measured. She opted out on any chemo or radiation in 2004 due to other family problems. I am assuming that this is an indication that this is most likely cancerous, since she has a history of lung cancer now. She has followed up with cat scans every 6 months with her last one being in January of 2008, 4 months ago. If it is cancer will it be as invasive as her last?
My mom's nodule on her left lung was undetermined as to what it might be at this point. Her cat scan came up with no conclusive indication of cancer at this time. She was sent for a bronchoscopy and now awaiting results. What exactly are they looking for with the nodule being on her lower left lobe? She will again have a cat scan in 8 weeks to see if it has grown. Would it not be better to just take it out and not let it increase in size over those weeks? I do not understand this plan of attack
Hi,
For lung cancer, any surveillance is used to capture early invasive cancer, so the short answer to your question would be yes.
Other cancers such as breast and cervix, have known intermediate tumors with malignant potential, and hence, for such cancers, there are more options depending on what are the odds of subsequent invasive cancer.
Not all abnormal findings in the lung would mean cancer, so perhaps the better way to phrase your question is whether or not – any nodule or mass would mean cancer or not cancer. The best person to answer this would be her doctors – looking into the odds of a recurrence based on the previous cancer that was removed. Without any information on the previous findings, the basis for suspicion of malignancy would be the description of the nodule, based on size, smoothness of border, calcification.
For lung cancer, any surveillance is used to capture early invasive cancer, so the short answer to your question would be yes.
Other cancers such as breast and cervix, have known intermediate tumors with malignant potential, and hence, for such cancers, there are more options depending on what are the odds of subsequent invasive cancer.
Not all abnormal findings in the lung would mean cancer, so perhaps the better way to phrase your question is whether or not – any nodule or mass would mean cancer or not cancer. The best person to answer this would be her doctors – looking into the odds of a recurrence based on the previous cancer that was removed. Without any information on the previous findings, the basis for suspicion of malignancy would be the description of the nodule, based on size, smoothness of border, calcification.
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