Tom Galli

After all the fun I've had with the aftermath of my RLL (https://forums.lungevity.org/topic/52143-probable-chylothorax/), I'm actually kinda anxious about the results of my upcoming CT
Fingers crossed....

I also agree if it is something remember early detection is key. We are here for you
Chuck

I agree with those who advise against waiting. 2.6 centimeters is not huge, but it's not a tiny nodule either.  I had a 3 month "wait and see" but my nodule was under 1 cm at that time. I think asking for an opinion from a pulmonologist is a good idea.

Welcome, Sue!
Don't worry about corrections. Anyone who suffers from this disease gets an automatic bye on mistakes. Lung cancer is complicated.
You are right. Outsiders don't understand our disease. We don't display symptoms until late-stage disease and then we're out of circulation in an ICU or home hospice.
Come February, good Lord willing, I'll be fortunate to celebrate my twentieth year since diagnosis. My treatment mayhem is over, but memories are carved deep in my soul. Like all of us, I am one scan away from bad news. Having said that, my calendar reminds me of an October 27 annual CT scan prior to my visit to my medical oncologist. Hopefully, the scan will show no evidence of disease (NED) and I can enjoy the Fall holiday festivities.
Stay the course.
Tom

Blossomsmom,
Good to hear from you again but sad you might need to join us in survivor mode.
One of the upsides of having a pay-for-service health system is direct access to specialty physicians. Exercise that right and see a pulmonologist, medical oncologist, or radiation oncologist and make that appointment without regard to your GP's timeline.
But, beware the wormhole of ground glass nodules. I still have them reported nearing 20 years of life after lung cancer diagnosis. The best advice I can give is to find a physician who wants to do frequent scanning to look for nodule changes. In fact, tell them this is what you want. After all, you are paying for service.
Stay the course.
Tom

Jim,
I'm a veteran and a lung cancer survivor who's navigated the complexity of VA medicine. I also have a "PhD in inhalers" with three different types in my inventory. MD Anderson is a super hospital and attending physicians always prescribe the latest and greatest medication on the market. And new inhalers proliferate. Here is my suggestion. Take your MD Anderson prescriptions to your VA hospital and ask your assigned VA physician for a consultation with a VA pulmonologist. The VA pulmonologist should be able to prescribe an inhaler (or combination of inhalers) in the VA drug system that works just as well as the Anderson-prescribed Trelegy Ellipta.
Of course, the hard part of the aforementioned is waiting for a VA physician appointment but free drugs might be worth the wait.
Stay the course.
Tom

Blossomsmom,
Good to hear from you again but sad you might need to join us in survivor mode.
One of the upsides of having a pay-for-service health system is direct access to specialty physicians. Exercise that right and see a pulmonologist, medical oncologist, or radiation oncologist and make that appointment without regard to your GP's timeline.
But, beware the wormhole of ground glass nodules. I still have them reported nearing 20 years of life after lung cancer diagnosis. The best advice I can give is to find a physician who wants to do frequent scanning to look for nodule changes. In fact, tell them this is what you want. After all, you are paying for service.
Stay the course.
Tom

Oh darn it! Are you a candidate for any immunotherapies? Apparently it is quite effective to treat/prevent brain metastases.

Yay for the gamma knife you got this
Chuck

PStar,
Sorry to hear about this new met.  I've heard so many good things about gamma knife that I can't help but be confident that they will zap that little sucker successfully.  It's quite the coincidence that you should have another treatment one year to the day, but strange things happen in life.  Please keep us updated on this and know that you are in our prayers and thoughts.
Lou

Hi all. Just an update. I went for MRI of my brain on Oct 11th and it showed a new 5mm deposit on my right temporal lobe. I had a 3mm deposit on my left temporal lobe last year in Oct which was treated on Nov 7th 2022 with gamma knife which zapped it. I am scheduled for gamma knife ironically on Nov 7th (what are the odds!) to take care of this new one. I hope it is as successful as the other. The Dr has put me on keppra as a precaution til the gamma knife. I also had CT of lung/abdomen/pelvis which shows stability of nodules in lung and adrenal gland.

Hi Blossomsmom.  I would immediately make an appt. with an oncologist. But if you can't get in soon, try for a pulmonologist. As you may know, one doctor can sometimes get you in to another specialist a lot faster than you just trying yourself. With your lung cancer experience with both parents,  your smoking history, I can't believe your Primary wants you to wait 3 more months! (Personally, while getting this all set up I'd also be looking for a new PCP). I already had an oncologist when I was diagnosed with lung cancer as I'd already had breast cancer twice and thyroid cancer. I also already had a pulmonologist because I had been diagnosed with COPD (from 30 years smoking) and also asthma. My family history was that my father and his father both died of lung cancer. I was very lucky to have good medical care and am considered NED at this time from all cancers. I wish you well and please do be proactive and get a specialist to see you and check up on that nodule. Please let us know what you find out! We all care! Best wishes, Momma Om

If it were me I’d go to an oncologist or pulmonologist and  have it followed up now.  This waiting May work for the observers but not the patients. Good luck

I’m not new to this group having been on here in 2019 & 2020 while dealing with my mom’s lung cancer diagnosis and treatment. The information and support I received from the members were invaluable. But I’ve returned because of the concerning results I received from a recent CT scan done because I’ve been a smoker for many years and have a cough that I can’t seem to get rid of. I have a 2.6 cm mixed ground glass and solid nodule in my upper right lung. Report says ACR category 4A and that a short 3 month follow up CT is recommended. I guess when it’s not their lung, 3 month is a “short” time. But I digress. Message I received from my primary care doctor was to have the CT scan redone in January and that we will discuss the results at my appointment in 1/28/24. Ugh. Seems like a long time to wait for what I’m pretty sure will not be good news. I hate to think that way but having lost both my mom and dad to lung cancer, I can’t help but think “is it my turn?”. 

Welcome Jim,
Good to learn another veteran has joined us. I am a retired career soldier and have Medicare plus Tricare for Life. Like you, I'm a medically disabled soldier and I am eligible for medical care through the VA system.
Predicting future drugs after surgery is difficult. I had three back-to-back thoracic surgeries, the first removing my lung and the remaining two dealing with a fistula in my bronchus stump. I recall a short course of narcotic pain medication that was inexpensive and not very expensive. So I can't suggest any drug names to assist you.
Stay the course.
Tom

Jim,
I'm a veteran and a lung cancer survivor who's navigated the complexity of VA medicine. I also have a "PhD in inhalers" with three different types in my inventory. MD Anderson is a super hospital and attending physicians always prescribe the latest and greatest medication on the market. And new inhalers proliferate. Here is my suggestion. Take your MD Anderson prescriptions to your VA hospital and ask your assigned VA physician for a consultation with a VA pulmonologist. The VA pulmonologist should be able to prescribe an inhaler (or combination of inhalers) in the VA drug system that works just as well as the Anderson-prescribed Trelegy Ellipta.
Of course, the hard part of the aforementioned is waiting for a VA physician appointment but free drugs might be worth the wait.
Stay the course.
Tom

Welcome, Sue!
Don't worry about corrections. Anyone who suffers from this disease gets an automatic bye on mistakes. Lung cancer is complicated.
You are right. Outsiders don't understand our disease. We don't display symptoms until late-stage disease and then we're out of circulation in an ICU or home hospice.
Come February, good Lord willing, I'll be fortunate to celebrate my twentieth year since diagnosis. My treatment mayhem is over, but memories are carved deep in my soul. Like all of us, I am one scan away from bad news. Having said that, my calendar reminds me of an October 27 annual CT scan prior to my visit to my medical oncologist. Hopefully, the scan will show no evidence of disease (NED) and I can enjoy the Fall holiday festivities.
Stay the course.
Tom

Hi Sue
Welcome to this group

Thank you so much, I am so grateful to have found this group. No one seems to understand that even if I look okay on the outside, that doesn’t mean I don’t think about what’s going on inside my lungs. I am on ‘Empenzi  and so far, very little side effects. I will take a look at those links - I already feel more hopeful about my situation.

Welcome Sue! 
Sounds like you are living a great life, but plenty of people on here to share the ups and downs of lung cancer.
Cheers, Rikke

Sue,
Welcome to Lungevity.  I'm glad you found us.  You'll find a very diverse group of survivors here.  Collectively there is little that we haven't seen or experienced.  I hope you'll find your time here worthwhile.  You seem to have managed a very active lifestyle and (as many of our members will tell you) that is really a great thing.  Keep it up.  
You've already racked up some pretty good experiences of your own but I would still like to share a couple of things with you.
 This was written by a fellow survivor who was originally diagnosed at Stage 3 then it moved to Stage 4.  That was 19 years ago and he is still with us and active on this forum.  It is titles "10 Steps to Surviving Lung Cancer; From a Survivor" and it can be found here. One of the best things we can do with this disease it to learn all we can and our section titled "Lung Cancer 101" located on this page. Since you are getting immunotherapy I thought you'd be interested in checking our our "Immunotherapy" section.  There may be information there you could find valuable along your own journey. I look forward to learning more about you and your journey as you become part of our family.
Lou

I was diagnosed with stage 3b lung cancer in late January. I have completed treatment and seem to be responding well to the radiation and chemo. I am doing immunotherapy at the moment and trying to do what I do which is garden, farmers markets, write, take care of grandkids and take line dancing class. After completing treatment I decided it was time to write about my experience at a blog site I started a few years back at www.indychildren.blog. I have researched and written four books on the German Russian food and farms with focus on women. I do not have much of a support group in particular relating to lung cancer. It’s all breast cancer so I decided I could use a few friends.

Welcome to the forum JT. I hope your healing after surgery is going well. I was diagnosed with stage IA2 invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma of the lung 3 years ago (IMA). It was a solitary nodule type, not the pneumonic type. Questions might be what stage, any nodal involvement (IMA often is nodal free and typically does not metastasize outside the lungs), any treatment beyond surgery needed, solitary or pneumonic type. Often stage I lung cancer patients are not offered biomarker testing. I understand that a form of KRAS mutation is common in IMA and there currently is no targeted therapy for this type of lung cancer.  I don’t know if I had a KRAS mutation because I was not offered biomarker testing and it is not clear if there would be any advantage to knowing. 

Welcome to our forum.  Sorry you need to be here, but glad you found us.  You don't say what surgery you had; if it was a lobectomy, wedge resection, or other.  Perhaps as you're here longer you'll be able to provide more details.  Meanwhile, off the top of my head, there are a few things you can ask shortly after surgery:
What was the size of the tumor and was there any involvement outside the lung (lymph nodes, etc.)?  This will help you and your surgeon properly stage the tumor and also open any discussion on adjuvant chemo to make sure all cancer cells are gone. Were biomarkers identified from the biopsy of tissue taken?  This information can help identify any mutations or biomarkers that may allow for a targeted therapy in the event of a recurrence. My understanding is the "mucinious adenocarinoma" cells normally originate in the colon but if the diagnosis was "Invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma (IMA)" that is a subtype of lung cancer cell that has its own characteristics..  Is this cancer form confirmed by the doctor and if so what does he/she believe the next steps will be post-surgery. Please take some time to look at our "Lung Cancer 101" section there is a wealth of information there. I hope that this helps you out and please feel free to ask any additional questions you may have.
Lou

I am new to this forum and just had surgery at Northwestern hospital in Chicago. Dr Ankin Bharit for a mucinous adnocarcinoma in upper left lobe. Would like to hear what I should be asking and anyone who had had this type as some say it is rare. Thanks