Hi all I’ve joined today as I am really struggling. My mum got diagnosed a week ago with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. She went to see the respiratory doctor yesterday , he’s told her she needs a PET scan, heart scan and lung function test before they can decide which course of treatment to give her. Im scared because her tumour is 102mm x 60mm which I know is considered large. The lung cancer nurse has told me not to worry with regards to the size of the tumour, as it may not make a difference, is that right? She is also struggling with nausea at the moment is that a common symptom, I hate seeing her suffering like this. Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated xx
Hi Toot22, welcome, but sorry to hear of your mum. All of the tests your mum is having, are all the usual tests we all get at the beginning of our journey. You say she’s got a respiratory doctor, so I guess she hasn’t seen an Oncologist yet. You won’t get the treatment plan until she see’s the oncologist. Sometimes this feels like it can take ages to get to this point, but all of these tests and scans are needed before they can decide which plan of action to take. As to the size of your mums tumour, all I can tell you is mine wasn’t much smaller than your mums, and I also have several small tumours in both lungs. I wonder if her nausea is due to the worry and stress. I know when I was first diagnosed I felt sick, and couldn’t eat, but I’ve certainly made up for it since.
This is a very stressful time for you both. This is one big rollercoaster ride, with many ups and downs, but it will get easier, once you know what the plan of action is. You must make sure to take care of yourself as well. There is a Family and friends - Discussion Forum which you may want to join, where there are people in a similar position to yourself.
Take care
Bless you, it is so scary, and your head will be all over the place. Only your mums Oncologist can answer that question, because everyone is different. But what I can tell you, is that lung cancer treatment has come such a long way in recent years. There are so many treatments available, and people are living longer with the disease.
