Should I have the Surgery??

• By utleymud
• Posted February 11, 2008 at 6:24 pm

HAVE SURGERY ASAP!! I found out I have a "neoplasm" in the left upper lobe on January 15th. You can bet your last dollar I am going to have the surgery ASAP. Am waiting now to hear from a surgeon giving me a date he can do it. The only alternative that I can see, Marty, is going under. I am 77 years old, have 7 grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren and am not ready to give up. Go for it, Marty. I am.

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• By Don_M
• Posted February 11, 2008 at 6:57 pm

Hi Marty: I would ask for a PET scan before I chose surgery. The smaller nodules may not show up on the PET scan, but the 9 mm nodule should if it is cancer. If it lights up, I would go for the surgery but see if you can find a facility that knows how to do video assisted thorascopic surgery (VATS). I suggest going to a National Cancer Institute approved comprehensive cancer facility. There is one in Columbus at the University of Ohio. They likely can do VATs there. They could do the PET scan too and offer a second opinion.

http://cancercenters.cancer.gov/cancer_centers/osccc.html

Don m

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• By howian1
• Posted February 12, 2008 at 7:51 am

I agree with the poster below. I would have a combined Ct and Pet Scan so you and the doctor can accurately determine the stage of the cancer. There is no reason to wait until april and this should be done this month if possible.

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• By BarbaraAnn
• Posted February 12, 2008 at 8:26 am

Marty,
I was diagnosed in December 2006. They gave me a CT Scan and then a PET Scan. Within 5 days, I was on the operating table. I had my left upper lobe removed. The surgery is very painful, so I would take the advice to look into VATS surgery. My recovery took 7 to 8 months.

All I kept thinking was, "I want this out of my body." I also had nodules in my lower right lobe. They at first said it wasn't cancer, then the doctor at Mayo said that it was. I had Radio Frequency Ablation to remove those two spots.

I would not take the chance to wait until April. Have a PET scan, to confirm cancer, then get it out ASAP. This is all in my humble opinion..... you must captain your own ship. It's easy for the doctors to say "lets wait a few months."--they're not the ones with the cancer.

My prayers are with you.

Barbara

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• By wilxjud
• Posted February 12, 2008 at 8:48 am

I would have the surgery after you have the Pet scan if appropriate. I have nodules in both lungs and for that reason could not have surgery. I wish I had that optioon. The lung cancer patients who have had surgery have had a much better and longer survival rate. This is just my opinion.

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• By sober71989
• Posted February 12, 2008 at 8:57 am

Hi My experience is that I had the surgery Right upper lobe removed, it was a fungus on my lung and could have been treated with anti fungals, I am 1 year out of the first surgery. Feeling about 75% of my old self- there were complications so I was in Hospital for 5 weeks my lung would not inflate after surgery, The thing I will tell you is to get the blood test and be sure it is not aspergillus. I will pray for you. Melissa

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• By sb
• Posted February 12, 2008 at 10:25 am

Hello Marty,

If it was me, I would do what someone said above and try to have VATS surgery. My reasons: 9.5 is in my opinion getting too close to being big. While it is still very small, you've almost a centimeter there and if these do end up being cancerous, then you don't want them getting any bigger. The smaller they are when they come out the better chance you have for a long, healthy life.


If you didn't have the history of lung cancer in your family, it would be a different picture. But that is just staring you in the face and that is probably why the doctors want to get those out of you. A family history of lung cancer, especially at such an early age, increases the chances that these nodules might be cancerous. There are several studies regarding that.

While a pet scan might be helpful, in my case it did not light up and I did have cancer. So I'm not sure that would be that important - although it couldn't hurt unless it delays the surgery. Have you had an abdominal ct and a brain MRI to rule out mets to those areas? I think they would do those tests before any surgery.

Those nodules could very well be nothing but given your family history and your history of lung issues, I would seriously consider the surgery but I would make sure I was at a top facility and I had gotten a second opinion from the very best if you can. Also, ask Dr. West on this site or go to his website, OncTalk, and ask him what he thinks.

Good luck,

Sharon

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• By Chum
• Posted February 12, 2008 at 2:33 pm

Most people are saying DO IT. I say - Do and do it fast... but have it both ways. i am defining "it" differently (and no I am not related to Bill Clinton). Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Go to a comprehensive cancer center - get a second opinion. They probably will do a PET. Perhaps even a combo PET and CT. Afterwards, if they think it is cancer - go with them especially if they suggest VATS. If not - wait. But make the decision to go to them NOW.

If you are able to get VATS surgery, they can biopsy whatever is there - see if it is cancerous - and if it is, take it out without "spreading" you ribs (breaking one or more). The doubling time of most cancers varies - but can be as fast as 25 days and as lengthy as years. My adenocarcinoma doubles, on average, every 181 days. So in several months it may well double in size. That isn't good - but also, many such nodules are not cancerous. There is no effective way of biopsying many either because they are too small - or because they are hard to reach. The VATS procedure was used, before being approved for lobectomies, to do biopsies... but now they can do both things at once.

So check with the specialists at a comprehensive cancer center - they will break the "tie."

Courage

Chum

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• By Jolene
• Posted February 12, 2008 at 6:11 pm

Hi Marty!

First, I am sorry that you are having to face making a life altering decision. Many things go into any decision we make when it comes to doing what could prevent us from getting a life threatening disease such as lung cancer.

Reading your history, you have already suffered from multiple lung issues. Several things came to mind and this is just my two cents worth, so only use it as such.

#1. Are you going to a leading lung cancer treatment center?
#2. Have you gotten a second opinion?
#3. PET Scan
#4. Basis for not doing a needle biopsy on the largest nodule?
#5. Family genetics
#6. Learning what the risks and benefits of surgery would be with your other Dx.

These are the things I would consider if it were me and I would make sure all five were given consideration. You obviously are at a higher risk with lung disease and a family history and those two things can't be taken lightly. The quicker you move forward, the better the outcome, however, I do feel you deserve to get a second opinion and a PET Scan to give you more answers before going through surgery. Best of luck....Let us know how you come out. Jolene

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• By D1
• Posted February 13, 2008 at 10:49 pm

Take your best chance at life; get the surgery.

But, as Chum advised, get the VATS and get the surgery at a top notch hospital. Good luck to you.

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