Surgical lung resection

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LittleFlower
LittleFlower Member Posts: 405
edited August 2019 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

Hi all,

I'm feeling so unsettled. I've been diagnosed with a likely breast cancer recurrence. there is a tumor in my right chest wall/lung pleura. So far, all other scans are clear. I understand this is now a systemic disease, bit I seriously want this tumor removed. My gut instinct, every fiber in my being, tells me it's the right thing for me. I've had 2 breast oncologist advise against it. I'm 42 and have a young son to live for. I'm absolutely devastated tonight. Has anyone had a similar experience? Has anyone had an one open to the idea? The idea of surgery for a single met? I think I'd go just about anywhere to have it done ☹️

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  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited August 2019

    I’m sorry you find yourself in this situation. Why, exactly, are the oncologists advising against surgery? Could it be due to the location

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  • Lauriesh
    Lauriesh Member Posts: 692
    edited August 2019

    I think most oncs want to try systemic treatment first. I was also 42 with a 12, 11 and 8 year old I had 2 liver mets. I did chemo and one disappeared and the other shrunk in half. I then met with a liver specialist to discuss resection or ablation. I ended up having ablation in 2011 and have been Ned since then. Either way, if you have surgery or not, you will need treatment. I would start treatment and see what happens. There may be no need for surgery.

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  • Tina2
    Tina2 Member Posts: 2,943
    edited August 2019

    LittleFlower,

    Ten years ago I was under the care of a pulmonologist who was monitoring me for lung nodules which had showed up on a scan. He was fully aware of my previous BC history, yet never considered metastasis. When I posited it, he said it too much time had passed since my last diagnosis( see my history) and insisted that the nodules were probably scar or lung cancer. He said I needed lung surgery when several lesions started to grow. He wanted me to have a lobectomy, but I dug in my heels and asked for a biopsy first. A painless needle biopsy of one nodule under CT guidance revealed metastisized breast cancer. I quickly saw my previous oncologist. He told me about systemic therapy for MBC, put me on Faslodex and here I am today, brought to NEAD, having avoided painful and complicated lung surgery which would have only proved that I had MBC.

    (Needless to add, I dumped the pulmonologist. And I'd like to do it again and again and again. What a jerk.)

    That's my two cents. In short, you may want to see if you can have a biopsy and/or go on systemic therapy to see if it shrinks the met.

    Good luck!

    Tina


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