Lung Mass after Elective reconstruction

NurseNancy11

Hello All,

I am new to this community and have some things to share. Let me say first, I am not a cancer survivor but my Mother is, however I am in a bad situation and need like support. My mother is 57 y.o. And has had LCIS twice. The first to time was in 2002, she had a lumpectomy & was treated with Tamoxifen, I believe for 5 years, despite my request she was never sent to an oncologist . The cancer returned in 2011, almost exactly 10 years and again was diagnosed as LCIS. The same treatment plan was put into place, however, this time I demanded that she be referred to an oncologist. He saw her once and she continued on her Tamoxifen, faithfully getting her yearly mammos. She finally completed therapy in April of 2015, we were ecstatic. Now mind you my parents are very private people and do not typically share their plans until the last minute. In January of 2016 my Mom tells me she has decided to have "the girls" removed/reduced as she had been having a great deal of back and shoulder pain. On 1/27/16 Mom underwent a breast reduction, they removed all of the breast tissue & reconstructed with fatty tissue. The Surgeon was completely aware of her breast cancer history. This procedure was done without a pre-surg MRI/CT Scan and she had not had any radiologic studies done in some time. She had a follow up mammo in September & at that time they told her they did not like the scar tissue and that she needed another around the year mark from the surgery date. In November she had upper respiratory infection symptoms and was coughing up blood, chest X-ray was negative she was treated as having bronchitis . Follow up mammo no new evidence. Two weeks ago she found a cervical lymph node enlarged on her neck. The doctor began with CT scans, which to me backwards, no lab work yet another clear x ray, pretty hard to wrap my brain around as a nurse, yet knowing it couldn't be a good sign. She has a mediastinal mass with enlarged nodes, "almost everywhere and too numerous to count" according to the Rad read. As off 4/18/17 we have had a bronchoscope & mediastinoscopy with biopsies and now know the mass is in lung partially obstructing the right bronchus. We are waiting for further results and have made a referral to an Oncologist finally.

melmcbee

Im so sorry. Get the pathology reports so you know what it is and the oncologist will start treatment. Please give your mom a big hug from me. You will feel more at ease when you see the treatment working.

NurseNancy11

we found out today that it is stage 4 SCLC with mets. I am devistated. It was certainly there when her procedure was done a year ago and ran rampant within 6 months. Please pray for us!

BringOn2017

So sorry NurseNancy, thinking of you and your family. Unfortunately small cell lung c does tend to grow rapidly and even if she had done scans earlier at the time of her surgery there may really have been nothing to see. Is she having chemo. Sometimes small cell shrinks well with chemo. Take care of both your mum and yourself. It must be devastating for everyone.