lung nodules

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wiz2
wiz2 Member Posts: 3
edited June 2014 in IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)

I am just soooooooo confused.  My tumour was ER/PR+ve in >90% cells, HER2 neg.  no lymph node involvement 0/13  Onco type score 3.  Thought I was doing rads and tamoxifen - radiotherapist wanted CT scan before radiation as baseline - guess what  - 3 tiny nodules in right lung - too small to biopsy, too small for PET scan .....Radiotherapist won't do radiation unless I have chemo -  just in case.  Has anyone else had this?  Do I really need chemo?  Is Tamoxifen no good with mets?? 

Any comments appreciated.

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  • bluedasher
    bluedasher Member Posts: 1,203
    edited January 2009

    Did they say what the nodules were on the CT scan? I had something show up on a lung X-ray so they did a CAT scan and the verdict was that there was a small calcified granuloma. They usually form around scar tissue from an infection and are harmless.

    Mine is also too small to biopsy. I'm already getting chemo because my tumor was HER2+. Probably my oncologist will want to do a follow-up X-ray in 6 months just to make sure the thing in my lung isn't growing. I had a calcium nodule in my lung once before ages ago.

    If you have mets, than I don't think Tamoxifen would be enough.

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  • Emily2008
    Emily2008 Member Posts: 605
    edited January 2009

    Gosh, your stats are so favorable, I would be surprised if these nodules are anything bad.  Can your oncologist get involved, or a pulmonologist?

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  • pod1257
    pod1257 Member Posts: 262
    edited January 2009

    CT scans pick up EVERYTHING, much of which is beneign, in my opinion. I had a scare last summer, that was almost more mentally terrifying than my original br. ca dx in 06.

    I had a CT scan last March for GI issues. They found something ominous, a "mass" abutting the stomach and liver. The thought it was a new rare cancer called a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). Needless to say I was terrified. After 2 invasive procedures and an unecessary surgery, it turned out to be a completely beneign. - A liver hemiangioma, which are very common.

    At my follow-up I asked the surgeon if the hemiangioma would have ever bothered me and was the surgery necessary. - He said in retrospect, the surgery was completely unecessary and would have never had any problem if the hemiangioma would have just been left alone.

    Go figure? Sometimes I think they watch us too closely.

    Julie

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  • cp418
    cp418 Member Posts: 7,079
    edited January 2009

    I would get a consultation with a Pulmonary Specialist. There are many ladies here who have had these lung nodules detected during chest ray, etc. Could be left over scarring tissue from an old respiratory infection.  I had one biopsied as benign granuloma. I am non-smoker but long hx of respiratory allergies and bronchitis.  Do not panic.  Also, lung nodules more common in certain areas of the country as well from environmental exposures, etc.  Doctors are very conservative and will report as possible malignancy until proven other wise.

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  • dginoregon
    dginoregon Member Posts: 17
    edited January 2009

    Hi Wiz2, I have just had a very similar experience. A chest x-ray taken for possible pneumonia showed the nodules, radiologist recommended CAT scan. Finding not conclusive, therefore a follow-up CAT scan will be done in 3 months (now 10 weeks) ...  I've had pneumonia once, pleurisy once, and when placing my chemo port surgeon had punctured my right upper lung.  Ugh ...  so, it is thought that my nodules are from one of these past events.  If no bigger, and not any new ones, the follow-up CAT scan can lay it to rest as old scarring.

    Seems like we will be on about the same timetable?  Hang in there ... at first it scared the hell out of me and dark thoughts of metastases kept spooking me ... now I feel sooo much better about it.

    D 

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  • bluedasher
    bluedasher Member Posts: 1,203
    edited January 2009

    The calciun nodules can also form around scar tissue from fungal infections - especially common in some areas of the country and the fungal infections might not have been big enough to have symptoms.

    I had a period of my life when I had respratory problems - bronchitis, asthma, and at least a couple of bouts of pneumonia. 

    I have my CAT scan report. It says my lungs are otherwise clear without non-calcified nodule or consolidation - I assume that increases the likelihood that it is a harmless calcium nodule.

    My doctor warned me that CAT scans can show up every little thing and raise unnecessary worries. They mention scatterd scarring in my lungs. Apparently I also have a cyst in my liver and one in my right kidney.  The radiology report says they can be confirmed as cysts by an ultra-sound, but my onc doesn't think it is necessary.

    I will have follow-up X-rays at 6 and 18 months to verify that it is staying the same size.

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