I was just thinking about how my cancer was found by accident. I was in the ER with chest pains when a standard x-ray found it. But I am the forth cancer that I know of that was found by accident. First was my father-in-law. He was having an upper GI when they caught a corner of his right kidney and saw a spot. It was cancer and he lost that kidney and is doing great. The next is my dad, he was also having an upper GI for heartburn and they caught the upper portion of his colon and saw something. It was cancer and he had a right hemocolectomy (sp) and is doing great. The third was my dog Riley. He had gotten a bone out of the trash and had a 4 inch piece puncture his colon. When the vet went in to repair it, he found that his spleen was one big cancer. Removed his spleen and I have a happy go lucky 11 year old puppy. I am very positive right now that I am going to be fine also.
Blessings,
Barb
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Good OOPS
- By Barb267
- Posted May 19, 2009 at 1:21 am · 16 replies
- In What, me worry?
- Shared with the public
Explore topics in this discussion:
Anxiety Pneumonia Cancer Surgery Hysterectomy Pain Uterine cancer Tarceva Heartburn Bladder cancer
16 replies
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- By mommik
- Posted May 19, 2009 at 2:18 am
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My ,mom was going to have minor surgery on her elbow when they did a routine chest x-ray. They found she had NSCLC stage 4. That was 3 years ago. She's been on Tarceva since Oct. 08. She has this incredible will like I've never seen.
- By Chum
- Posted May 19, 2009 at 10:21 am
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Mine was a purposeful "accident." By that I mean, the doctor ordered x-rays for me because I was an ex-smoker during my regular check up for my 60th birthday - found nothing. Then he did the same the next year - contrary to EVERYTHING EVERYONE who knows ANYTHING (radiologists, oncologists, and corner grocers) would suggest he do. We all "KNOW" that x-rays can't be used effectively to screen - we have grave doubts whether even ct scans given every six months could catch enough tumors to make it "worth it."
Well la-de-da - they saw something in that second x-ray and a month later I had a lobectomy and am 4.7 years out of the surgery and doing fine.
Pretty sure I would be close to death now if it hadn't been found during that "useless" x-ray.
Courage
Chum
- By Ohio
- Posted May 19, 2009 at 10:46 am
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My husbands was found by accident as well. He was having pain due to a previous injury near the same spot and they found bone lesions, which led to everything else.
- By lovlyles
- Posted May 19, 2009 at 11:24 am
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I had uterine cancer, which resulted in a hysterectomy. My doctor ordered a yearly CT scan to make sure it hadn't returned and that is when they found the spot on the lung. Now I'm stage 4. Seems to me catching it that early I wouldn't be where I am right now.
- By HighlandGuy
- Posted May 19, 2009 at 3:35 pm
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I passed blood. CT scan revealed spot in bladder. Removal revealed grade 4 (most aggressive) bladder cancer. In staging bladder cancer to determine if it had spread, CT revealed spot on lung. Biopsy revealed NSCLC. When bladder was removed they also removed my presumable slow growing ( grade 2) cancerous prostate. Pathology revealed it had transitioned from a grade 2 to grade 7 and s[read tp a third pf ,u prostate.
Ironic what a few drops of blood, one night only, can reveal!
Incidentally, I had eye surgery Friday in an attempt to fend off total blindness. I'm not always so lucky!
HighlandGujy
- By Khari
- Posted May 19, 2009 at 4:58 pm
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My husband had a pelvic ct for some other issues and they saw a spot on his lower lung. Four weeks later he had his rll removed followed by chemo. That was a year and a half ago. If not for this accidental find he could have been gone by now. Thank God for accidental finds!!!
Khari
- By terryl
- Posted May 19, 2009 at 5:21 pm
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Mine was found during my yearly check up. Dr ordered " routine" chest x ray. I was totally without symptoms. I still, to this day, am not sure why he ordered an x ray. I have been going to him for 20 years and he had never ordered and xray " just because". Thank God he did.
I think that most of the cancers that are found in early stages are found totally by accident. The rest don't get found until there is extensive disease because there are no symptoms in the early stages. Heck, I really didn't think I needed a chest x ray when my Dr suggested it. I am certainly glad he did.
- By Marg
- Posted May 19, 2009 at 6:02 pm
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I guess Mike's was found by accident also. He had been having shoulder pain, which we thought was referred pain from a neck problem. Then the shoulder pain moved to his chest, and again we thought it was still from the neck. The next diagnosis was ulcer. When they did an abdominal CT to find the ulcer, they found a mass in his chest!
- By Brenpatsa
- Posted May 19, 2009 at 6:16 pm
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My dad's cancer was also found when he went to the ER with terrible back and pelvic pain. He left there 6 hours later, being told that the CT scan found a tangerine-sized mass in his right lung.
What is really strange and disconcerting is that, just 4 days prior to this ER visit, my dad was at the hospital doing pre-op labwork, etc. (he was going to have a colonoscopy the next week and the hospital required a chest xray, blood draw and EKG). Believe it or not, all 3 of those tests came back as normal!! How could a chest xray miss a tangerine-sized mass? He even checked back with that dr. to make sure that's what the reports said, and the nurse checked again and said the reports say that everything looks just fine! (he hadn't filled her in on his lung mass story). What is the point of a chest xray for diagnostic or pre-op, if it can be that faulty? Or was this just a case of a radiologist who really, really blew it? Who knows but we have no faith in those type of scans anymore.....
- By SandyLostHerLove
- Posted May 19, 2009 at 6:19 pm
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My husband went to a new Dr and had a routine chest x-ray when they found cancer in the left lung.
- By bonjovi
- Posted May 19, 2009 at 6:37 pm
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i suppose you could say mine was found by accident(nsclc stage 1) thank god, my doctor was following up on nodules on my lunggs that had been there for a while and discovered some thing new i was getting tired of the yearly cat scans but happy that i continued and the bum was caught early (smile)
- By Brenpatsa
- Posted May 19, 2009 at 6:41 pm
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The flip side to the good "oops" is what we are experiencing with my husband. I just posted about about my dad's diagnosis (one month ago). While we were awaiting his biopsy/PET results, my husband got a call that an abdom. CT scan that he'd had for a kidney stone several weeks prior indicated a 5mm nodule in his lung. We were beside ourselves. Bad enough my 78 year old dad, but now my 47 year old, non-smoking husband? His dr. ordered a chest CT which indicated that there was minor scarring and two, not one, nodules but that they were only 2 mm each and thought to be subpleural lymph nodes "of no clinical significance" and that "no further followup is recommended". Knowing how worried I am because of all of my research for my dad's situation, his dr. offered the possibility of a chest xray in 3 months! (all I have little to no faith in chest xrays after my dad's experience above; if a tangerine-sized mass was missed, how will something 2 mm. be picked up, especially with enough clarity and definition as to discern growth??). So now, I am left with the worry and anxiety that this was somehow a "good oops" and that we are ignoring it and that's really difficult. My husband is just glad to put this behind us and really doesn't want to pursue this. I read that a biopsy and PET scan would be useless due to the tiny size and that the only option would be all-out lung surgery to remove the nodules. Anyway, just wanted to share the flip side to the incidental findings that seem to be such a popular way to be diagnosed.....
- By bnewmk
- Posted May 19, 2009 at 7:08 pm
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I was completing my yearly routine physical and my Dr. told me that everything looked great,my bloodwork,urinalysis,cardiogram.I was also feeling great with no problems at all.My Dr. was of the old school and also included a routine chest X-ray as part of my physical.He saw something that he didn't understand or could not definitively identify in my right lower lung.Further x-rays,C-scan,and biopsy showed a 7.6cm. malignant tumer.Stage 2B.That was 28 months ago.I have since completed chemo,and been on Tarceva since 7/07 and,thank God,NED.I can't believe almost all Doctors refuse to give chest X-Rays as part of all annual physicals.
- By peyz33
- Posted May 19, 2009 at 7:15 pm
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Barb - you do have the "touch" in your family - even the Dog! LOL - That's great - I am sure that you will be just fine. Wish all our stroies were like yours!
Karen
- By peyz33
- Posted May 19, 2009 at 7:26 pm
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I found my tumor with a gut feeling - I had to lie to get the CT approved - but thank GOD I did!
Karen
- By mawoni
- Posted May 20, 2009 at 4:49 am
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Mine was found by accident, too. I went to the ER with a sudden onset of pneumonia. Chest x-ray showed a tiny nodule that was then watched closely. When it started to grow, I had surgery then chemo. Doing ok.
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