He never smoked, but he is 89 and was a firefighter for many years, so who knows what environmental toxins he was exposed to over those years? Anyway, last week, my mother said, “Your dad’s having a lung biopsy tomorrow, because they found a nodule on an xray” and yesterday, he told me that he had an appointment with the doctor today to discuss the results.
It turns out they found out the nodule was indeed malignant some time last week, but chose not to tell my sibs and me until today because they just weren’t ready to do so. Today’s appointment was to meet with the oncologist to plan further treatment; he has additional scans to undergo, but as of right now, in the next few weeks he’s going to have the upper lobe of his right lung removed. He’s had an MRI and a PET scan, and there is no evidence of spread.
Apparently, he had a routine chest x-ray and they found a spot, and did the other scans to narrow down what it might be, and also map out the coordinates for the biopsy. (They didn’t phrase the last part that way, but I know this from my own breast biopsy in 2017.) They told him that it’s 6mm in the greatest diameter, and does not appear to have spread, but he needs a brain MRI and “a breathing test” and then they’ll figure out if anything else needs to be done.
This wasn’t the answer any of us were hoping for, that’s for sure, but it is what it is and we’re going to deal with it.
I’m sorry you and your family are going through such a difficult time. It’s a blessing that it hasn’t spread, and it sounds like there’s a good chance they can get ahead of it by removing the upper lobe. I sure hope so! I’ll keep my fingers crossed for your dad.
I’m sorry to hear that. I must say, lung cancer has a much better survival rate than it used to, and I’ll keep a good thought that it hasn’t gone any farther.
Yeah, when I heard they wanted him to come to the office to discuss the results, that’s when I strongly suspected that the news wasn’t good. I mean, I got my own diagnosis over the phone from a pathologist that I never met, but I didn’t have lung cancer, either.
He was given the choice of radiation or surgery - the doctor was leaning towards the former - but he just wants to cut the thing out and be done with it.
My mother has been fighting lung cancer since 3 weeks before the world shut down. She’s now 88 years old. She will not be “cured” but the treatments have given her several good years so far. There are so many more options now with biologics and gene therapies.
I was coming in to say just this. My Mum is now 96, and was diagnosed with lung cancer 3 years ago. She has never smoked. She had a course of six radiotherapy sessions (in lockdown) which have arrested the development, and she’s fine for now and has scheduled annual check ups to keep an eye on her lungs. It isn’t a cure, but then, she’s 96.
First: I know two people who live with lung cancer as a chronic illness. It can’t be ‘cured’ but neither of them is dying. One, who’s 62, is a bit pissed about getting back to work. She was thinking of the whole ordeal as early retirement once she found out she wasn’t going to check out early.
Second: Best friends MIL turned 96 yesterday. She has breast cancer and the docs are doing nothing and everyone is fine with that. The growth rate is very slow and the damage from different treatments might end up hurting her more than the actual cancer.
When we all grew up and an older relative got a cancer diagnose back in the 1950’s to 80-90’s it was considered a death sentence. They are so much better at this now.
Very sorry that your dad and your family are having to deal with this. But glad that there’s treatment available, and that there seems to be a pretty good chance that it’ll work.
I’m glad to hear it appears to be localized and can be dealt with. Regardless, lung cancer surgery and recovery takes a lot of energy (my mother’s breast cancer had metastasized to her lungs) so best be prepared. Exercise before the surgery might be able to help his recovery, depending on that timeline.
Best of everything to your dad and your family as you go through this.
That is wonderful to hear. He’s going to hurt like hell for a few days. But be sure he keeps practicing with his breath-o-meter or whatever that thingy is called.
