Hi
I'm a 48 year old man, smoker since 17, asthma since birth, many chest infections over the years always requiring steroids and hospital stays.
In early December I was admitted to hospital with the RSV virus which caused pneumonia. The obligatory x-ray showed 'something else' so a CT Scan was done for a closer look while I was there. I was told they had found 'a lump'. I was told nothing else at all. A few days later I was well enough to go home and was given a discharge letter which said:
"...a CTCAP showed a 2.5cm nodule in the upper lobe of the right lung with enlarged right hilar and mediasinal lymph nodes, will require further investigation - he has been referred to the lung MDM for discussion and will be updated with the outcome of this. He will have a follow up CT chest in 6 weeks"
Sure enough I got an appointment for a CT scan (with contrast) on the 22nd of this month (Jan).
I know I just have to wait and see but what do people reckon on this? I mean, 2.5cm seems pretty large for a nodule? Could this and the enlarged lymph nodes be caused by the pneumonia? Or possibly just old scarring? Or should I expect this to need a biopsy and/or PET?
I have noticed in the last year my breathing is much worse which I just put down to smoking and not exercising. My hands also often go blue. I have a persistent and productive cough which I've always had really, again assumed to be because of smoking and asthma.
Thanks all :)
Hi skipdonahue welcome to the group, but sorry you find yourself here. I know how awful the waiting for test results are, and how you feel in limbo waiting to find out what this nodule can be. None of us can second guess this I’m sorry to say, they may need to do a biopsy, they may not. It really does depend on the results of this CT.
What I can say is there has been several people who come through this group with nodules that turned out to be benign. So it can happen. I wonder if they are waiting the 6 weeks before doing another CT to see if the lymph nodes do go down.
Sorry you are going through this, but hope you get some good results from this next scan.
Hi chellesimo
Many thanks for your reassuring reply. I will report back here after the scan and if its good news that will hopefully be useful for others browsing this forum and going through similar uncertainty.
Thanks again :)
Skip
Hi skipdonahue
I had three nodules removed last month and one was over 2cm. Lymph nodes can swell if there is an infection as well as other things, so it is impossible to say what is causing the enlargement, The nodule could be old scarring but If the CT scan shows anything suspicious, I would have thought they would do a needle biopsy (sounds very daunting but in fact is pretty painless) and/or a PET scan.
I'm afraid you can only wait and see. Easier said that done and impossible not to speculate, I know.
Good luck with your scan.
Take care.
Thank you for your words of encouragement Violet66
I just noticed the scan I'm having in a few days is abdomen as well as chest. Do you know if that's just standard procedure?
Thanks again
It’s normal my cts are always chest abdo and pelvis
Huh, tell me about the 'waiting game'; my husband was given blood tests, followed by chest x-ray, followed by contrast CT scan, following by EBUS procedure, all just before Xmas. He had to wait until 6th January for the first appointment which confirmed Stage 4 lung cancer, a 5-7cm tumour on his lung, which has apparently metastasized to various other organs including the other lung, chest, his lymph nodes, adrenal and spleen. We've finally got an Oncology Appointment next week which will reveal a treatment plan and prognosis, although already they've diagnosed terminal and inoperable. Not great but I'll update after the Oncology meeting. Thanks for listening.
Sorry to hear about your husband Thumpa58. I hope its better news for you.
So the oncologist has said that they will treat him with immunotherapy and chemotherapy (if he chooses to take it); with no treatment he may only have 2-3 months; if the treatment works he could have 2-3 years or more (or less, they don't talk about those people, apparently). Anyway he's not decided which way to go but now currently aiming for a 2nd NHS opinion alongside going the spiritual / healing route! We will see, what we will see ?!?!?
Update: I got fed up with waiting so I submitted a SAR (Subject Access Request) to the hospital to obtain the images of my first scan. It was a painless process - just a form and 2 proofs of ID to send in. Two days later I got sent my initial x-ray, the entire set of CT images including the software to read them amazingly and the radiologist report. I spotted the nodule straight away in the CT software which allows you to scan through every image slice by slice, apply filters etc. The report was both immediately scary and reassuring at the same time. The consultant radiologist who did the first CT reported a 2.5cm sub-solid nodule that was 'highly likely for malignancy' and referred it to the MDT. After the MDT, a second consultant radiologist added an addendum to the report that it was likely due to infection / pneumonia and the enlarged lymphs (15mm) were a reaction to that. He or she referred me for the 2nd CT in 6 weeks time. I had the 2nd CT three days ago and I've not heard anything since. Apparently the MDT happens on Thursdays which is tomorrow so fingers crossed (I'm running out of fingers).
Thought that might be of interest.
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