Phoenix

Hello, all! Thanks so much for your responses to my post in the newcomer's section. Again, I would really appreciate any insight on this next step in our journey… Review from my post in the newcomer’s section: Mom was diagnosed with COPD about three years ago. A CAT scan taken at the end of February showed a grape-sized mass in my Mom's lower right lobe. PET scan on 2/27 (results communicated 3/1) confirmed it is "active", and therefore probably cancerous. Mom’s lung specialist was very pro surgery to remove the entire lobe. Mom’s surgeon was very concerned about surgery due to her lung function: he noted a 20% chance of her being on a ventilator for an “extended period of time” (which he later clarified to be anywhere from weeks to the rest of her life). He said that if the pulmonary function tests he had reflected her current condition, he would do a wedge section rather than remove the whole lobe. Update: Bronchoscopy revealed that cancer is in the bronchial tubes of that lobe. Options are either surgery to remove entire right lower lobe or radiation/chemotherapy. Here’s where I would greatly appreciate your thoughts: though doctors are unable to name a timeframe, Mom’s COPD is considered “end stage.” Her pulmonary function is severely obstructed. How on earth do we go about making the choice between surgery or radiation/chemo? I feel like surgery is an all-or-nothing gamble: I’ve read surgery has a higher cure rate than radiation/chemo, but she could end up with too little healthy lung with which to breathe. Has anyone else dealt with a similar situation? Does anyone have suggestions as to questions we should be asking the doctors? Does anyone have suggestions as to additional things we should be considering? I’m grateful for any thoughts. Blessings ~ Phoenix

Thank you SO MUCH to each of you. Your responses are reassuring and have very much helped me to catch my breath, slow down and work to be patient. I have learned one of the reasons it is taking so long is that my Mom was diagnosed with COPD about three years ago. Her lung function is very poor (medical term = “severe”). If this is the only location, surgery would be the treatment plan of choice with no follow-up chemo or radiation. However, the tumor is located in a healthy part of her lung tissue, of which there is little remaining. Her lung function would be reduced even further. Therefore, if there is any evidence of cancer in another location, they do not want to risk the surgery. If surgery is the plan, the surgeon is not planning to biopsy, but immediately remove the mass and surrounding tissue. I do not know why he is not planning a biopsy: thank you for raising the question that I may pursue this! And thank you also for the advice to be a “squeaky wheel” – I will definitely do so! Finally, thank you so much for the emotional support you have all provided in both encouragement and prayers. I am so thankful for this site – being able to read about others’ experiences and receive counsel is a Godsend. Thank you all for being such a blessing. ~ Phoenix

Greetings, all! I'm a newbie... a CAT scan taken at the end of February showed a grape-sized mass in my Mom's lower right lobe. PET scan on 2/27 (results communicated 3/1) confirmed it is "active", and therefore probably cancerous. Mom's lung specialist wanted the lobe removed by the end of that next week (3/12), but the surgeon ordered a ton more tests to ensure there was no evidence of a metastasis from another spot & that she was strong enough for surgery. So now we’ve got a list: blood work, pap smear, bronchoscopy, colonoscopy, mammogram, x-ray, and a cardiac stress test. All but the colonoscopy should be complete by the end of this week, but it may take yet another week for the results of the bronchoscopy. We’re looking at over a month in between finding the mass and deciding on a treatment plan! Is this typical? I am terrified! I thought that we are in a race against a metastasis, and it is taking so long to even get to a plan for what we’re going to do! I’m sorry if I sound panicked, but I AM. I would be grateful to hear of your experiences with how long it takes to get tests ordered, taken, and obtain results – and if anyone has any suggestions as to getting them done more quickly. Thank you so much ~ Phoenix