Lung cancer and sabr radiotherapy

Hi Jillr26 

welcome to the group, but I am sorry to hear you have some nodules develop after your lobectomy. I know how worrying this would have been for you. I have lung nodules in my both of my lungs. I had one large tumour at the top of the right lung which had broken through into the bronchial airway, and lots of small tumours scattered throughout both lungs. The tumour in my airway was removed, and I had laxer treatment on the top lobe via a bronchoscopy. I then had 5 sessions of intense radiation. The radiation inflames the tissue in your lung, so this may be why you are experiencing a cough. Although you had your treatment in March, radiation remains in your body for some months after treatment. I found my symptoms peaked at about 14 weeks post treatment and then I could feel myself coming down the other side for several weeks after. 

Have you mentioned your cough to anyone in your medical team? It might be worth a call to your lung nurse, just to make sure that this is what is expected at this stage. 

Hi Jill

I had eight sessions of SABR on my upper left lung in December 2023 for NSCLC 2.5cm lesion. I also developed a cough, which was a dry irritating cough.  Radiotherapy can cause inflammation and scarring (fibrosis) in the lung where the radiotherapy beam is directed, so a persistent cough is quite normal, I was told this by my Oncologist, and it does ease off with time, but the scarring stays unfortunately.

Now, two and a half year's later, all my regular follow up CT scans show the fibrosis, although it hasn't got any worse, which can happen in a small number of cases.  The lung scarring can also cause breathlessness on exertion, i.e. walking uphill etc.  I also have slight scarring in my oesophagus because the lesion was very close to the area...this can still be a bit uncomfortable when eating certain foods such as very solid foods.  My lesion was very close to the chest wall, so my ribs are tender to touch in the area and if I lift heavy weights such as bags of shopping or strenuous gardening etc., I get pain....again, this is quite normal and a couple of Ibuprofen does the trick.

I suggest, unless you were given one, is to read the leaflet on SABR, this explains everything you need to know about the treatment.  If you haven't got one, I'm sure if you ring the cancer nurse specialists they will post one out to you.

It is very early days after your SABR treatment, it is still carrying on working and will do for some time.  

Best wishes, and feel free to ask any questions you may have regarding SABR.

Ann

Thankyou so much for this. . Much appreciated 

I so appreciate this information. It does reassure me. Thankyou