im so confused, it took 4 years to find this tumour, the tumour in left lung spread to lymph nodes, thickening of lining round lung and pleural effusion, they done biopsy of just lymph nodes on outside near lung and say looks like NHL, how can they say that without doing biopsy of actual tumour in lung. thats the primary spot because the rest showed up 5 weeks later on PET scan, but not on CT scans etc.
Hi Bells
Thanks for getting in touch and welcome to the online community.
I see you’ve joined the lung cancer forum and I hope that you’ve found that supportive.
I’m sorry to read that it’s taken such a long time for your mum to get her diagnosis.
It can become very confusing to understand what is going on when the information keeps changing. As the doctors found the tumour in your mum’s lung first and then the lymph nodes, they were probably working on the assumption it was a lung cancer which had spread. Taking a biopsy of the lymph node would have shown lung cancer cells if this was the case as when a cancer spreads, we can find the cells from the primary site in the lymph nodes. For example, if a lung cancer spreads to the lymph nodes, the lymph node biopsy will show lung cancer cells. You can read about secondary lymph node cancer here.
However, when they have taken the biopsy from your mum’s lymph nodes it has revealed NHL. That would indicate that it is her primary cancer. Her specialist team should be able to explain more about this for you.
As they have diagnosed NHL you may find that the Non-Hodgkin lymphoma group on the online community is more appropriate for you.
I hope this information helps. You may find it easier to discuss this with one of our information nurses on the support line. They are available daily from 8-8.
Best wishes,
Fiona M,
Cancer Information Nurse Specialist
You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email.
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