Stage 2 or Stage 4

hi JPenny,

Although this did not happen to me, over the many yesrs i hsve seen similiar scenarios and they have not turned out to be mets. Or lungs are filters, so not everything that. Shows up on a cxr is a baddie. It can Happen due. To infection or inflammatory changes.

Try not to worry

Hi Jpenny, I know this is a scary time for you so I hope my info helps ease your mind a little. First off, I am very sorry about your infection and subsequent sepsis; that in itself is a lot to endure. I lost my Dad in 2011 from an infected port that caused sepsis, then septic shock. He had Stage IV colon cancer, had been in chemo for three and a half years and had just had a good scan with shrinkage of his tumors when this happened. So complications from our treatment is something to be taken very seriously.

About the lung nodules. I had to have a chest CT shortly after I started radiation (Canadian protocol), because I was having swelling and weakness in my right arm and hand. My BC was on the left side, btw. My RO just wanted to make sure nothing else was going on. They found two small nodules in the lower left base of my lung. I was so scared and upset because I had only finished chemo a month earlier. And these two areas were not on my original Pet/CT scan done after DX prior to starting chemo. I did not get to see my MO unfortunately, but the CRNP checked my tumor marker for me and it was good. I have had two "3 month follow-up" chest CT's since then. The first one in December (just days before Christmas) was no change, and on the second scan this past March the areas were gone. Or at least had not grown. My Onc explained the images are taken in slices (1 cm I think) and it may have missed them on my very first scan. He believes they were from an old infection (I've had a lot of bouts with bronchitis) and he also said it was possible it was from the radiation. He is going to keep an eye on it, but I am off the three month follow-up. So don't give up hope that your findings are benign. I know how easy it is to think the worst, but trust that your medical team is going to be monitoring you closely. I know the idea of having regular chest CT's is very worrisome but it was also a relief to have some answers. Good luck and please keep us posted!

hello

Lung Nodules are very common, I unfortunately found this out when I was first diagnosed and I had my work up scans . I had never even heard of lung nodules before this. At that time they found a 6MM nodule on my lung. They scanned it after I finished chemo and there was no change. Then it was scanned again over two years with no change so was deemed to be benign. When they first found it I almost drove myself to the brink of insanity worrying about it. Then I joined these boards and realized that many women have had lung nodules. Apparently, they are very common and usually benign. The hardest part I found is waiting for scan results after a follow-up.I believe the protocol is scan it for two years and if nothing has changed then it is nothing to worry about. Good luck

Also chiming in that I had two small lung nodules at my first CT after my mastectomy and my MO felt pretty confident they were benign. (Small is always good.) Even if they weren't at that point, they were too small to biopsy. Repeat scans at six months (after chemo) showed no change. Nodules are common, as everyone has said.

Raising my hand as having a benign lung nodule. They are VERY common. Mine hasn't changed at all in four years.

Yours is most likely due to the infection.

Maryb2017-

We're so sorry for the worry and anxiety you're going through. We know how scary the prospect of a recurrence is! Everyone deals in their own way, none are right or wrong. It seems promising that the doctor didn't appear worried, and we hope you continue to have nothing to worry about.

The Mods

lol thanks everyone... I am wrapping my brain around it and reading lots of these posts I felt much better. I guess because I was 3a I panic more thinking it's more likely but from what i have read that is not the case.