3 nodules in lung 1 affected lymph & ca 15-3 up

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TessaW
TessaW Member Posts: 231
edited July 2015 in Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis

So, like the title says, my PET /CT scan showed 3 nodules in my lung and an effected lymph node. My last 2 CA 15-3 tests showed an increase yet they said since the nodules are only 2cm they won't do anything until they're 6cm. WHY??? HOW CAN THEY ASSUME IT COULD BE ANYTHING BUT CANCER METS ? They want to biopsy the lymph node. Again, WHY? SHOULDN'T THEY JUST REMOVE IT? ?

ANYONE ELSE DEALING WITH DOC'S SEEMINGLY BLOWING OFF THESE ISSUES? ?

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited June 2015

    Hi TessaW,

    We're so sorry you're dealing with this! We don't have much advice right now, but wanted to offer our support.

    Please let us know how everything turns out! We'll be thinking of you.

    --The Mods

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  • fifthyear
    fifthyear Member Posts: 225
    edited June 2015

    Since you have nodules in lung, you may want to re post this in Stage IV forum. The ladies there experienced anything and everything that ever happen to a breast cancer patient. And the support from that forum is amazing.

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  • pajim
    pajim Member Posts: 2,785
    edited June 2015

    Tessa, I know this is very scary, but if any of these are mets, the horse is out of the barn, so to speak.  Which means that taking out the lymph node will not help with the disease course at all.  If the cancer has spread, there are cells in the blood stream, and you treat to kill those, rather than worry about the lymph node itself.

    As for the lung, lung nodules are common.  And most of the time they aren't cancerous.  Infections can cause them, all sorts of things.  Think of it this way -- do you really want them putting a needle into your lung and possibly doing damage? 

    Sit tight, wait for the biopsy of the lymph node.  If negative, then they'll just watch the lung nodules over time.  They may never grow; in fact they may disappear.  If the biopsy of the lymph node is positive, and they confirm mets, treatment will shrink the lung nodules if they are cancer.

    Most doctors don't even do mastectomies on women who present with mets.  You simply do systemic treatment.

    Meantime waiting is the really hard part.  If you have no faith in your doctors, or if they haven't explained things well you can get a second opinion, but from my experience listening to the ladies in the Stage IV forum it doesn't feel to me like your doctors are blowing this off.  They're doing the least they can do to confirm whether you have cancer. 

    Crossing my fingers for you.

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  • MusicLover
    MusicLover Member Posts: 4,225
    edited June 2015

    Pajim is correct the nodules may not be mets.  I just wanted to add that you probably mean 2mm not 2cm and 6mm not 6cm.  They are just little specs if they are mm size.  How high is your CA15-3 tm's?  If they are still in the normal range you probably have nothing to worry about. 

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  • TessaW
    TessaW Member Posts: 231
    edited June 2015


    Thanks girls.   I hope it's mms instead of cm!  (The onc nurse said cm.) I hope you're right !  What scared me was the info online that I was reading about lung cancer.  A different onc nurse said if it was caner it would most likely be a new lung cancer and not METs.  I read that finding one nodule is common but multiple tend to be cancerous.  Add in my shortness of breath, fatigue, wheezing, and chest pains and it started to worry me.  I also read that nodules don't have to first grow into lung masses in order to be cancerous. 

    I need to stay off of the net so much probably.

    Thank you both for your encouragement and info!

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  • Rosieo
    Rosieo Member Posts: 262
    edited July 2015

    Tess

    i just had a cat scan. my oncologist tells me I have multiple spots on both of my lungs.

    he ordered a lung biopsy right away. Now reading the post above, I am thinging I should

    know more before doing a biopsy.

    So confused and scared

    Rosieo

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  • Jesika63
    Jesika63 Member Posts: 78
    edited July 2015

    hi everyone :)) . Tess i had a ct scan about 4 month ago. It showed one 3mm nodule he called it glass round or round glass nodule. He is just following it up to see if it gets any bigger. I have to go on Aug. 3 for my follow up Ct. I can so understand your fear. This year has been horrible for me. First my sister dies of Ca. (STomach and OV two primeries) right after she passed i decided to continue taking care of myself. Thats when i got my Ca. diganosis. Had lumpectomy and radiation. Next went to gyn. Was full of fibroids and polyps. So decided to have hysterectomy. (all neg.) but i don't have to worry about that anymore. Now i have to followup this nodule. Yes i think of mets all the time even though DCis is contained but my sister had two different ca. I just can't help being my own doctor and giving myself a dx. Today i went for blood test and jus started to cry. My daughter said mom wait and see it is probably nothing and if you keep worring you will end up with ulcers. Oh well we just have to hang in there and see whats next. At least we can get treatment if it is something. I just wonder When is enough, enough. and hope notihing else happens. Pls keep update. thanks


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