Hi everyone, first time posting but I have been reading lots of posts looking for some reassurance & advice.
I was diagnosed with early stage 1 lung cancer at the beginning of November and am starting radiotherapy at the beginning of January.
The PET scan that discovered the lung cancer also showed a small lump in the parotid gland. Three different lung consultants who looked at the scan said it looks small and benign and likely nothing but I was referred for a fine needle aspiration and had an appointment with ENT yesterday for the results.
The dr i saw yesterday was the complete opposite to any of the medical people I have encountered in the last couple of months. To begin with he tells me the FNA results were inconclusive and they couldn't say if cancerous or not so they recommend surgery! He then proceeds to GOOGLE pictures and explain the surgical procedure (which sounds horrendous!) then GOOGLES more pictures to show how nerves in my face could be damaged after surgery! I asked lots of questions about alternative ways to determine if it’s cancerous because dont want to go through surgery if its not needed, he said no but did agree to me having an MRI as it may give a clearer picture. He said I dont have to have surgery if I dont want to as it could he nothing but if it is something, it could spread. So I am now waiting for an appt for an MRI.
I came out of there feeling completely bemused, deflated, really scared and wanting a second opinion!
I have been trying to do my own research and wonder if a core needle aspiration would give a more accurate diagnosis. I just feel I cant go through surgery for this while still trying to get my head around the first diagnosis.
sorry to have gone on for so long, i wanted to explain it properly!
Hi Daisychains and a very warm welcome to the online community which I hope you'll find is both an informative and supportive place to be.
I’m Anne, one of the Community Champions here on the Online Community and, although I'm not a member of this group, I noticed that your post hadn't had any replies yet. Responding to you will 'bump' your post back to the top of the discussion list again.
As you are asking a specific medical question, ie. "would a core needle aspiration would give a more accurate diagnosis" it might be a good idea to post your question in the Ask a Nurse section of the online community, as the members of this group might not have the knowledge to answer this. If this is something that you'd like to do, clicking on the link I've created will take you there.
While you're waiting for replies, it would be great if you could put something about your diagnoses and treatment to date into your profile as it really helps others when replying to you and also when looking for someone on a similar pathway. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself. To do this click on your username and then select 'Profile'. You can amend it at any time and if you're not sure what to write you can take a look at mine by clicking on my username.
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
