LouT

just want to send support, NYC!  I'm new here and in a similar position.  Rescan in early July.....

Arisa,
Welcome to our forum.  So, your mom has a nodule that has grown, but is still very small.  At this point your doctor may decide to do some additional testing.  Perhaps a PET scan to see if any of the nodule "lights up" indicating it may be cancerous and if there are any other areas of concern throughout your mom's body. But, at the end of the day, a biopsy will need to be performed as that is really the gold standard of testing nodules.  If for any reason a needle biopsy is not possible a "liquid biopsy" via a blood test may be able to be performed.  One way or another more testing is needed so the doctors can properly determine if the nodule is cancerous or not and if there might be any spread to other areas.  With all the diagnostics done your doctor will then present your mom with options ranging from surgery alone to many other forms of treatment for the cancer.  Once you have all the test results you can sit down with your doctor and really discuss the best options.  After you do that please share here and you'll surely find people who have had the same or similar treatments and they will be able to share their experiences with you.

Meanwhile one of our members wrote a great piece called, "10 Steps to Surviving Lung Cancer; by a Survivor" and it can be found here.
Lou

You're very welcome.  Knowledge is a blessing to us who suffer from this terrible disease.  I hope you'll stick around and get to know more of the good folks here.
Lou

You're very welcome.  Knowledge is a blessing to us who suffer from this terrible disease.  I hope you'll stick around and get to know more of the good folks here.
Lou

Those were very informative and helpful articles, edive.  Amazing on the rates of cure when LC is caught early.  Thanks for sending these links!  I appreciated the information you sent too, Lou... I looked at both areas this morning - thanks!

Welcome to our forums.  I'm sorry you need to be here but glad you found us.  We're a community made up of LC (Lung Cancer) survivors and some caregivers.  The stages, types, and treatments we've experienced are "all over the map" so you'll be able to ask most any question and find people with firsthand experience.  Like you most everyone in my family died of cancer.  My dad, mom, most of my uncles and aunts on my mother's side, and a step-sister, so like you I understand the situations reasonably well..  What I can tell you is that when my mom died from LC we didn't have many of the treatments and trials available today.  So you have the experiential knowledge but I think it's also good to learn all you can in an updated manner so I'm going to share some different information with you.
We have a section called "Lung Cancer 101".  It covers causes, diagnosis, treatments and all aspects of Lung Cancer it can be found here. An important blog written by one of our senior member is titled "10 Steps to Surviving Lung Cancer; from a Survivor" it is on this page.  This member was originally diagnosed at Stage 3 then Stage 4 and after 20 years of treatment has been declared "cured". A tip for you; stay away from Dr. Google.  Outcome statistics found there are normally over a 5-year period and don't accurately reflect new treatments available.  Neither do they consider the individuality of our situations.  You're always better sticking with your treatment team for that information. Please stick around, update us as events unfold and ask any questions you may have.  We'll be here to support you.
Lou

Welcome, Bob!  I'm new here too and awaiting my 3rd scan in July so we're in somewhat similar "waiting patterns."  I can't imagine how you're feeling today with your scan Monday.  I find I'm wound tighter the week or so before a scan and then until I have results then it's a deep exhale.  Wishing you the best with the scan Monday!  Hope you get results, a call from your provider and then direction timely - that waiting is a different kind of hard.

Sooo happy for you on good scans, Karen!  Great self-care on your part too in stopping the stressful volunteering.  There are likely other volunteer positions, even with kids in a different role, if you decide on something different down the road.  Important you take care of yourself which you're doing.  Thanks for sharing!

Thanks so much, Karen and edive!  I'll definitely keep you posted.  I'll check out these links later today, edive - thank you!

@Scruboak It's such an important distinction, yet so difficult to put into words. I've stared reading about it. It's amazing how many fields talk about joy, even outside of cancer and typical mental health sites. Yet, there are few actual descriptions of what it feels like, or what the experience is. 

@Livin Life, I'm glad you found this site. It's been the most reputably helpful of the few I've found, as well as the most genuinely supportive. We have waves of activity, depending on who's checking in. 
I don't know much about what you're experiencing. I had ground glass after radiation therapy fried my tumor. It has gradually cleared as the severe inflammation from immunology-induced pneumonitis resolved but it was a very long haul. 
Keep us posted!
 

Thank you Karen,  Monday is almost here but I figure it would be a couple days after to get results from the fourth CT scan. 

@NYC GUY 
I personally would get a vats fine needle biopsy with a rapid in site evaluation ROSE.  That way a positive finding gets you a resection right then and there.  An early resection is your best chance for a cure.    Good luck to you and sorry you're even faced with this decision.

Great news Karen.

I have joy for you, Karen!  Focusing on joy which is much different than focusing on happiness.  

Thanks for your feedback on the solids and ground glass.  I really appreciate your knowledge and you've (unfortunately) had so much  experience.  I think it is the smaller of the solids they are most concerned about - it changed quite a bit from 2016 to 2023 though is stable now.  I guess I don't understand/know what you mean by solids being more dangerous even while the ground glass is more likely to be malignant.  I really asking more about the former ( solids being more dangerous).  Fortunately all of my nodules are small though there are like 7.  Interesting on the multifocal and cure....  I've found a couple good articles....
Oh, I didn't realize you leaving Inspire was about the AI.  I read those posts as several of you were going back and forth.  I think I only commented on that post once other than after you left - then there was stirring about where you were/what happened, etc.  I didn't realize that was the post that upset you - thought it was a different post though really didn't know.  Well, I'm glad you landed here.  Important you have a place to be AND others really benefit from your knowledge and experience!  I'll likely stay here - as I said I'm still listed as active on Inspire though haven't been on there for a bit.  When I'm posting a link to a very active and helpful disease community Inspire does NOT have (and a disease someone is struggling with) I should not be censored.  I was shocked to be honest.....  As I said I posted that link many times before on two other Inspire communities and no-one deleted anything until I posted it in the lung cancer community for a newbie with Sjogren's struggling with lung cancer treatment causing more severe dryness.  It was a real ethical dilemma for me... I'm a rule follower though I'm on these sites to be of help and support to others once I learn a thing or two : ) so to not share a very helpful reputable site when I know it exists blew me away.  I don't have much knowledge about lung cancer though I do in the other communities I was on there... and was often the first, sometimes the only, and often one of just three who responded to a newbie - I find this very sad though can't support that way of operating - it's not really about helping others then which is what I told the Mods... at least not as THE priority which is why I make such responses.  
Well, anyways, I'm glad I found this site.  I'm such a fan of these health sites and wasn't sure if there was another quite active community for lung cancer out there.  I'll have to spend some time learning my around the various posts, etc.  I think there's more than what I realized here regarding posts.... I'll check out those areas Lou mentioned too.    Thanks again, edive!              Livin

Thanks, edive!  I was on Inspire.... still active though haven't been on in some time.  I heard you were either here or another site now and hoped to "bump into" you : )   Yes, VanCoerte and I exchanged a few posts not long after I posted there for the first time.  I too wonder about multifocal.  I could have had biopsy after last scan.  One of my solid nodules is 11x8 mm.  A ground glass is 9x6 mm.  The one that turned solid was 8 mm in Sept 2023 and then 7 mm in Dec 2023 though such a small difference it could have actually not changed at all.  The others are around 6 mm with one being 4 mm. 
Sadly I heard nothing from my pulm who ordered these CT's.  I was to have a tele a couple weeks after the CT though they canceled and rescheduled for a few weeks after that which did not work for me.... etc. etc.  So when I saw my onc (for other reasons -more a rheumatic hematology issue at this point) late January I asked her about scans.  I had sent her the reports.  She let me know she believes likely a slow growing cancer.  I trust that even while I know a biopsy is the only way to really know.  That evening I then heard from pulm via the portal - over a month after my scan.  I think onc may have reached out to her.  Given all was stable she was ok with me waiting until July for rescan which is what I wanted.  It's 4 hours away and I just made 4 trips there in 4 months and did not want to drive again - I have other health issues and still work half time so.....  Given all I've read I feel pretty ok with waiting until July for rescan.  Need to get things in financial order too b/c I suspect they may want to do a resection as the biopsy which I've seen can result in a bigger surgery- thinking recovery time.  Where the solids are (two different lobes - both right lung) there is also ground glass in both of the lobes....  It's just me so I don't have anyone else to rely on so just in case.... I need to have my ducks in a row.  I don't worry a lot b/c I plan for what I can (then still worry some LOL).  Thanks again for your reply!

Sounds like multi focal lung cancer.  Very slow growing.  Are you on inspire?  VanCoerte there has been dealing with this for a couple decades.  Like 4 wedge resections and 1 SBRT treatment over the years.  It's nearly impossible to biopsy a tumor with less than an 8 mm solid component.  They used to wait till it was 10 mm but many will try a biopsy now at 8.   There is of course a surgical biopsy but that's pretty extreme.

Karen,
First of all I'm thrilled to hear the good news on your exam.  I'm also very impressed with the information you shared regarding stress and its impact on our health.  It's a great topic and your points were spot on.
Lou

@NYC GUY, you may want to re-post this as its own topic-- it will likely generate more responses. 
I'm always envious of people who have the option for surgery. With surgery, you get rid of the nasty thing and you get a biopsy. My tumor and lymph node locations sent me down the road of chemo and radiation, and now, a targeted therapy.  
If you are concerned, it's best to find a second opinion, ideally, from a major cancer center. You're lucky to be near several with the federal NCI designation. You can learn more about why the NCI designation can be helpful here. 
Please consider re-posting this in order to get more feedback. And, keep us posted.

Hi Bob, and welcome. The waiting is just awful. It made my head spin. Hang in and keep us posted.

Thank you Lou,  I will remember that. I go for another CT Monday so we shall see. 

Bob,
Sorry to hear about the recurrence but glad you found us.  Nodules that grow are definitely worth getting a biopsy and I understand that they want more mass so they can do a better job of getting the sample they need to test properly.  The waiting is terrible and I remember feeling great anxiety during my initial diagnosis and especially when I was told to "wait 3 months" before the next scan.  Needless to say I was not a happy camper.  I'm so glad that you gave up the smoking.  Regardless of the COPD I'm sure that your breathing is most likely better now than when you were active in the habit.  That will be a help through this.  Please keep us updated and feel free to ask any questions you want.  We have a pretty large base of survivors on this site with a great variety of diagnosis and treatments so there is a lot of experience to share.  You won't need to go through this alone.
Lou

Welcome to our forums.  I'm sorry you need to be here but glad you found us.  We're a community made up of LC (Lung Cancer) survivors and some caregivers.  The stages, types, and treatments we've experienced are "all over the map" so you'll be able to ask most any question and find people with firsthand experience.  Like you most everyone in my family died of cancer.  My dad, mom, most of my uncles and aunts on my mother's side, and a step-sister, so like you I understand the situations reasonably well..  What I can tell you is that when my mom died from LC we didn't have many of the treatments and trials available today.  So you have the experiential knowledge but I think it's also good to learn all you can in an updated manner so I'm going to share some different information with you.
We have a section called "Lung Cancer 101".  It covers causes, diagnosis, treatments and all aspects of Lung Cancer it can be found here. An important blog written by one of our senior member is titled "10 Steps to Surviving Lung Cancer; from a Survivor" it is on this page.  This member was originally diagnosed at Stage 3 then Stage 4 and after 20 years of treatment has been declared "cured". A tip for you; stay away from Dr. Google.  Outcome statistics found there are normally over a 5-year period and don't accurately reflect new treatments available.  Neither do they consider the individuality of our situations.  You're always better sticking with your treatment team for that information. Please stick around, update us as events unfold and ask any questions you may have.  We'll be here to support you.
Lou

Thanks so much for sharing some of your story and for the welcome, Lou!  Yes, to cancer all over the family.  I didn't mention my mom died (at 85) in 2011 of a primary brain tumor and my brother died of kidney cancer at age 53 in 2005.  My mom lived a week after diagnosis and my brother 3 or 4 months.  I actually have one sister left who is 70.  I am almost 62.  Yes to various cancers in the extended family too. 
Thanks for the resources.  I have been doing a lot of reading the last handful of months though due to other health issues I generally stick to medical articles, etc.  I have seen the timelines for life expectancy are way off so thank you for that reminder.  Because I am likely to have adenocarcinoma if diagnosed I am not too worried b/c of all I've read, including from survivors on some other sites.  I think back to my dad who was diagnosed in 1975 when there were few treatments.  They said he likely had lung cancer five years before diagnosed.  With surgery and Cobalt treatments back then he lived 2 years.  Blows my mind when I think about that so when I see all that is available today and how so many are doing I don't question that.  Though... I do see some who do not fare well or for long....  
I will check out the Lung Cancer 101 and blog before long.  Haven't been awake long and have to get ready for work here soon : )    Thanks again, Lou!