Breast Cancer last week, nodules on lungs now

Hrv17

last week biopsy confirmed Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. Had chest CT that shows a few non specific non calcified noduals. Rescan in 3 months. Meeting with surgeon today for first time. I'm so freaked out. So basically now I go from suspected stage 1 to stage 4? I have 2 small boys. I need to be here. I'm so scared.

Beesie

Okay, take a deep breath.

Lung nodules are extremely common. Most are not cancer. Calcified nodules are usually not cancer - that is an excellent sign, as is the fact that the follow-up is a rescan in 3 months, which suggests that there is little concern that these nodules might be mets.

This is precisely why CT and PETs scans are not recommended for early stage breast cancer patients. These scans pick up so many benign things (and so many of us have all sorts of benign lesions in our bodies), whereas the odds of someone with a small early stage cancer having mets that are large enough to be detected by screening at the time of initial diagnosis are extremely small. Nothing is impossible, of course, but only 5%-6% of all breast cancer patients are diagnosed Stage IV de novo, and the majority have large and/or aggressive tumors and/or nodal involvement. So subjecting early stage patients to these scans creates a high possibility of false positives, with very low odds that they would actually find mets.

That said, I can appreciate how scary this is for you. I'm so sorry about that.

Mountainlover

I am so sorry you're going though this. I just wanted to share that within 2 weeks of my IDC diagnosis I had MRI, CT (lungs and abdominal) and PET. They always do that here in Belgium prior to surgery, and of course MRI picked a nodule in the sternum ! BS no. 1 was unconcerned (I changed hospital for other reasons) and the subsequent CT and PET confirmed it was benign. Those were the worst days in my life, I also have 2 young kids (mine are in primary school), so I can relate to the anguish. It's easier said than done but try not to stress unnecessarily. As Beesie explained, in all probability all will be fine, if the doctors were concerned they wouldn't wait 3 months. I will be thinking of you. Hugs

AliceBastable

I have to get periodic CTs for a different reason, and my MO explained that most people have lung nodules, they're just crud that accumulates over time. As long as they stay small and don't change over time, they're nothing to worry about.

Hrv17

the surgeon seems to think that since the idc is so small and doesn't seem to be in my lymph nodes he doesn't think the 3 lung nodules are related to the left side breast cancer. I also have a non specific spot liver. Recheck in 3 months. He said he felt 95% sure these weren't related. I wish I could feel that positive too.

AliceBastable

Your surgeon's education and expertise is telling you the same thing our personal experiences are telling you, which is that the chance of it being something to worry about is extremely TINY.

Hrv17

thank you! I really appreciate the time you take to help when we need support and assurance! ❤

2019whatayear

If they were worried they would do another sort of scan now and not wait 3 months. So take heart :-)

Garnersuz77

Hi HRV17...

I just wanted to share that I had a very similar experience 2 years ago. I was diagnosed with IDC after a biopsy done by a breast surgeon not affiliated with the cancer center I am at now. She ordered a CT scan (that my cancer center team later told me they never would have ordered) and it found that I had multiple bilateral nodules all over my lungs. Unlike your situation my team was concerned enough to order a PET (lit up my nodules and hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes 😳) so then had to have a bronchoscopy and mediastinoscopy to collect tissue samples. The biopsies came back as granulomas and I eventually was given a diagnosis of pulmonary sarcoidosis. Even after all that they still wanted to make sure there wasn’t any cancer hiding among the inflammatory granulomas so I had to have repeat scans for 2 years...if nothing grew after 2 years they would officially call it “not cancer”. I just had my 2 year scan early this morning and received stable findings and finally was able to hear my oncologist say “that’s not cancer” It has been a heavy two years but I wanted to share because as the others have said lung nodules are common, can be the result of many things other than cancer and there is always hope!!!

Hrv17

thank you for your response. I am trying to not freak out and over think things. I am really happy to hear that your case came out well!! I pray mine does as well! (Not sure why the text has bolded, it won't undo) I am trying to just concentrate on getting the lump removed and starting radiation. Unless the octoscore come back high I won't have chemo. I'm also nervous about the hormone therapy since I am not yet menopausal. How did you do with the hormone therapy?

illimae

I know it's hard and scary but if your MO recommends rescanning later instead of a biopsy, I'd take that as a pretty good sign. I had a lung nodule too at some point but it wasn't cancer and resolved on it's own. Good luck.

SummerAngel

Just chiming in that lots of us have lung nodules that aren't cancer. I have a couple, myself.

ctmbsikia

I always try and do my best to pay attention to the score and not read into anything I hear, or they write. I try to trust whichever Dr. that gets these results has also read the report and will advise me from there.

My example: I started the low dose CT lung cancer screening in 2017 as I meet the high risk category which is 1 scan per yr until age 70. Former smoker. Having done 3 so far, the 1st one was fine, short and sweet, 2nd year they write up some possible significant other findings, and last year there it is- a nodule (just 1) it's listed as stable. How do they know it's stable when it's not listed on the prior years report? I assume it's new. My other findings are calcification of coronary artery, degeneration of spine. These are things that also happen with the aging process. It was a little upsetting comparing these and every year they write more stuff-However, my LungRads is a 2, so I stay focused on that.

LaughingGull

I also have a non-cancer lung nodule (calcified granuloma); hoping your nodules are benign.

MinusTwo

Yup - I had nodules - and (horrors) "ground glass opacity". That one threw me for a loop. Turns out it resolved in future year scans, along with most of the nodules.