Hello - looking for some strategies

Hi 

So sorry to hear about your son . He sounds as though he has coped very well .

Unfortunately the lungs can get lots of nodules and not all of them are cancerous . They actually watched three in my mum’s lung that sprang up after a couple of years . They actually quietly watched them for a couple of years until one continued to grow and they removed it at a very small 8mm . My understanding is limited to my mum’s experience but from what I can remember of the lung surgeons conversation they really can’t be sure what they are until the get to a size where they can do a PET scan . The nodule has to be a certain size before they can do that .

I have been here for over ten years and many , many people have had things show up on one scan to resolve by the next . However they may have been watching it and feel it’s the time to do further investigations . Again it was highlighted to us that it could be nothing.

My mum was a stage 4 patient at diagnosis so we were not too surprised . However only one of her nodules was in fact cancerous . The other two were benign .

Bowel cancer actually has a lot of treatment options when it has spread to other organs compared to other primaries . My mum was able to have a key whole procedure called VATS and was in theatre for an hour and home two days later with a small two inch scar under her arm . It was by far the easiest surgery she has gone through and much easier than the bowel . Others have used Radio frequency ablation . In my mum’s oncologists words the research is showing that it is giving surgeons a good run for their money .

I really do feel sorry for cancer patients as they do have to deal with a lot of anxiety as everything they have is thoroughly investigated and it is so stressful for them . On the other hand it’s the robust scanning and quick intervention that has kept my mum here 12 years later !

I found the lung aspect scary too ! But it did turn out ok in the end . She had it removed six years ago .

Hopefully just an infection .

Take care ,

Court 

Thank you so much you’ve helped by understanding and your story. I wish your mum and you well.