Lung Nodules

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Canadian21
Canadian21 Member Posts: 24
edited March 2018 in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

I have some small lung nodules that were seen in my CT Scan twice, no changes. I have a follow up scan in July for these nodules. I am worried about them. Have any of you ladies had lung nodules and how long did your doctor follow them for? How do you know if they are benign or cancerous?. My oncologist said they could be nothing or they could be cancer. I am trying not to worry unless there is a reason to worry. Thanks so much for your help.

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited March 2015

    I'm not triple-negative but I do have lung nodules found on CT at initial dx. One radiologist thought one of them looked more like scar tissue than a nodule but they all seem to be stable and I've been told they are most likely among the oddities of our bodies that show up due to higher resolution equipment.

    I was somewhat concerned about them until follow ups showed no change. Now my official policy is not to worry about them.

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  • shoppygirl
    shoppygirl Member Posts: 694
    edited March 2015

    I too have a lung nodule. It was found on my work up scans after my original dx. At first I almost lost my mind over it but now that I have had three follow up scans with no change, I am less concerned. At my last apptthey told me that I might have one more scan in September and if no change agsin then I won't have to go through any more scans.

    These stupid incedential finding cause so much worry!!!!

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  • Beachbum1023
    Beachbum1023 Member Posts: 1,417
    edited March 2015

    Hopeful and shoppy, I have several nodules in the lung also, found on scans. Mine have either disappeared or shrunk so good news I guess. It's crazy how our minds go straight to the dark place, scary and annoying for sure! Like triple negative isn't scary enough.

    Have a great weekend ladies!

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  • Canadian21
    Canadian21 Member Posts: 24
    edited March 2015


    thank you so much Hopeful and Shoppy girl.....................it is causing me so much worry, hopefully like you both unnecessarily. I have had two scans and they seem stable, praying in July they remain that way. So shoppy girl or Hopeful how many scans and how far apart?  My doctor said after the one in July they will see if I need anymore. I worry about the radiation as I am BRCA2 positive.,  but also worry if I don't get the scan. Ugh!

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  • shoppygirl
    shoppygirl Member Posts: 694
    edited March 2015

    Canadian

    The first follow up scan I had was just after I completed chemo, so six months after finding the nodule. As there was no change I had another a year after that, also with no change. I believe the protocol for anyone with a nodule is 2 years. I am so over all of this too !

    Beach bum, glad to hear the good news about your nodules!!!

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  • concernedhubbyalan
    concernedhubbyalan Member Posts: 97
    edited April 2015

    My dear wife is in the same boat. She has stage IIIc triple negative bc. She is in ICU as we speak since she got a nasty case of cellulitis in her surgical wounds due to chemotherapy. We found out that she has nodules on her lungs today.

    We're doing the same thing we've been doing since her first biopsy, through the TRAM flap surgery, through the TRAM flap complications, through having one of the reconstructed breasts removed, and now a trip to ICU: sit and wait.

    It sucks, but there's nothing we can do about it. We've decided to panic when someone tells us to.

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  • Canadian21
    Canadian21 Member Posts: 24
    edited July 2015

    hi Everyone

    I just wanted to report that my July scan shows the nodules are stable . Yeah!

    The one scary thing they found was a small blood clot in my lungs , which I am being treated for with blood thinners. I am trying to stay positive and not worry but this really caught me off guard. Anyone else have problems with clots?

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited July 2015

    Hi, Canadian - I'm sorry, I didn't see your post back in March and apologize for not replying. I'm glad to see that your nodules are stable - that's great news.

    As for the blood clot, all I can say is that it's far better to know about it than not! I have read that cancer (of any kind) makes one more likely to experience blood clots and that some treatments can exacerbate that effect. I hope yours responds quickly to the thinners and you have no further clots. Take care of yourself!

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  • Canadian21
    Canadian21 Member Posts: 24
    edited July 2015

    Thanks so much Hopeful. Praying no more clots and no more cancer!


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  • shoppygirl
    shoppygirl Member Posts: 694
    edited July 2015

    Concerned hubby

    I am so sorry that you and your wife are dealing with this. I think it is always a shock to find "something" on your lung. Is this her first scan that they found them on? As you said, this is truly a watch and wait situation. Take comfort that there are many of us here that have had lung nodules found . I hope everything turns out for the best.

    Canadian, great news in the nodules and sorry about the blood clot. I think that it is s fairly common thing. I have heard of others that have had a lung blood clot.

    It is good they found it so they can treat it.

    Will you have to have any more scans on the nodules ?

    Take care.

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  • Canadian21
    Canadian21 Member Posts: 24
    edited July 2015

    hi Shoppygirl

    Thanks for your message and yes I believe they will do another scan, doctor said perhaps in 6-8 months.

    I see my trombosis doctor on Tuesday to talk more about the clot and he will do an ultrasound of my legs. I am supposed to go to Italy with my sisters August 8, so praying I will be allowed to fly.

    What a relief to hear you say that it is a fairly common thing, as I am so scared. This has created so much fear for me, and not knowing why I got this clot is driving me crazy.

    I immediately associated the clot with cancer, which I should not have done. Google was not my friend.

    I am grateful they found the clot and are treating it. It is small and thank god for the scan.

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  • shoppygirl
    shoppygirl Member Posts: 694
    edited July 2015

    Canadian

    It is so hard when you think you can move on with cancer and they find another issue. My retina detached 1 week after my reconstruction surgery last year. Unfortunately the Dr that tried to fix it did not do a very good job so I changed Drs and the one Ihave now has been successful. I do need to have another surgery in August to complete the repair but it seems like I have had 2 years of never ending issues. I guess we just have to realize that as we age we are going to have normal aging issues that are not related to cancer. It's just hard to go through so much all the time.

    Anyway , I hope you can go in your trip, vacations are so important!!

    Hugs

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  • TNCatMom
    TNCatMom Member Posts: 10
    edited July 2015

    I'm dealing with this right now. On June 26, 2014 I was diagnosed with Stage 3C TNBC in my left breast, and widespread but non-invasive stage 0 ER+ in my right breast. When I was first diagnosed, I had a PET scan, and there were three tiny nodules in my lungs. They only measured a couple of millimeters each and were too small to biopsy. Because of the advanced breast cancer, my oncologist was concerned they could be cancer, but didn't want to delay my treatment while he investigated. I did 4 dd bi-weekly AC treatments, followed by 12 weekly Taxols. I had another CT scan after chemo ended in December and the nodules were gone. I had a BMX and BSND a month later, and 5 weeks after that did 33 radiation treatments. At the end of May I had another CT. The nodules were back and larger than they had been previously, but still too small to biopsy. Last week I had a PET scan. The nodules are growing very slowly--the oncologist said they are growing really slow to be TNBC. He did tell me after the CT that he had always believed they were cancer. I also saw the breast surgeon the week after the CT, and made a point of telling him about the CT and what the oncologist had said. After seeing the report, I asked him what he though and he said he thought I had metastatic breast cancer.

    I also started developing a lot of irritation in my airways along with a cough, just a week or two before the CT in May. The PET was supposed to be in August, but they moved it up because my cough and the irritation has gotten much worse. The PET showed small growth in the nodules since May, and there is also a swollen lymph node in the center of my chest. So oncologist has ordered bronchoscopy and biopsy of swollen lymph node, and I will be seeing the pulmonary specialist for a consult on Monday. I will keep everyone updated on what happens.

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  • shoppygirl
    shoppygirl Member Posts: 694
    edited July 2015

    TNcatmom

    I am do sorry that you are dealing with this. Good luck with your specialist on Monday. I will thinking of you. Hugs

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  • Canadian21
    Canadian21 Member Posts: 24
    edited July 2015

    TNcatmom , I am so sorry that you are dealing with this. I am thinking of you.

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  • SpiritBlessing
    SpiritBlessing Member Posts: 584
    edited July 2015
    • TNC...praying for you tomorrow. Keep us posted. image
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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited July 2015
    Ditto, TNC. Thinking of you and praying for you tonight, tomorrow and through the wait for your results.

    SpiritBlessing, thank you for the reminder.
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  • Rhiannon426
    Rhiannon426 Member Posts: 24
    edited May 2016

    Hi everyone, TNCatMom so sorry you are dealing with this I am thinking of you and you are in my prayers.

    I was diagnosed March 19 2015 with TNIBC stage II, had surgery, and had my last chemo September 25th. First ct scan after that showed no change......today I went in to get the results of my most recent ct scan....they found an ill defined sub 4 mm pulmonary nodule. In the previous CT scan it was seen as a small linear opacity. My Dr. says I shouldn't worry....she wants me to get another scan in 3 months to see if anything has changed....should I worry? It's hard not to worry, my sister passed away from breast cancer, my sister in law has terminal breast cancer, why do they make us wait for 3 months? What symptoms should I look out for and tell my doctor about

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  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,847
    edited May 2016

    Hello Rhiannon426

    I saw your post and wanted to say that I am sorry that you are going through the stress of uncertainty. It seems very lax to be told to get another scan in three months to see if anything has changed. That means three months of worry. If that were me I would be getting a second opinion and trying to obtain a definite diagnosis.

    I noticed that you have posted in a thread that has not been used since July 2015, so you might want to join the Calling all TNs, which is a large group where you will get opinions and support from a lot of nice ladies. You can also join Calling all triple negative breast cancer patients in the UK, a smaller group. You will find other Canadians on these groups.

    I saw that you are from Kitchener, Ontario, so I am assuming you are under OHIP. I lived in Canada for seventeen years.

    You might want to put more details on your profile, such as surgery, what chemotherapy drugs, radiotherapy, nodes affected, size, stage and grade of tumour.

    Thinking of you and sending best wishes.

    Sylvia

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  • Rhiannon426
    Rhiannon426 Member Posts: 24
    edited May 2016

    Thank you Sylvia, I plan to call Monday to get in to see the Dr who found my cancer and removed it. He will help me. Plus I am going to go see my family doctor, hopefully between the two they can explain it better. Sadly after my oncologist said they found a 4mm nodule I stopped listening and shut down.

    I did fill out the profile is it no showing on my post?

    I will join the calling all TNs.

    Three months of waiting will make me squirrelly. I have to stop being so Canadian with being worried about hurting the doctors feelings if I ask for a second opinion, and just insist.

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  • p1754
    p1754 Member Posts: 10
    edited January 2017

    2017, I just want o know how your doing.

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  • p1754
    p1754 Member Posts: 10
    edited January 2017

    How are you doing in 2017.

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  • p1754
    p1754 Member Posts: 10
    edited January 2017

    Just want to know how youre doing.

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  • p1754
    p1754 Member Posts: 10
    edited January 2017

    I just want to know how youre doing today.

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  • Rhiannon426
    Rhiannon426 Member Posts: 24
    edited February 2017

    I am so sorry I have taken so long to come back and reply. So far I have had 2 cat scans that show no growth and the radiologist says it looks benign. So yay all is well. My gp wants me to have another catscan in 6 months just to be extra sure so I am being well looked after. Again sorry for not replying sooner

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  • Winters74
    Winters74 Member Posts: 25
    edited March 2018

    hello. Just bumping this post as I recently had a ct scan that revealed a 6mm nodule in my upper right long! 9 months out from chemo and 6 months out from radiation. Doctor said not to worry and we will watch it. Next scan 3 months

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