Help Please! Just found a large mass on my Moms Lungs

[diddytaughtme]

Hi Folks,

IN my endless pursuit for answers to the million questions that i have, I stumbled upon this forum.  This week on Tuesday my mother was rushed to the hospital with chest pains, turns out after CT, XRAY etc., she has a "large" mass on her lungs. The doctors ( Pulmonology, Oncologist) did not pull any punches in saying that it is "most likely" "almost positively" cancer.  They have ordered the biopsy for this week upcoming, but have already convinced us that it is Cancer, the biopsy apparently will just reveal the pathology of it. They mentioned it seems very complicated location, near lymph nodes, blocking air way etc. Ultrasound Guided Biopsy is up next.

Now the endless pursuit of "where do we go from here?" has begun.  Trying to decide where is the best and proper place to take her for the treatment once the biopsy is complete has my head spinning.  Currently I have Sloan Kettering NYC, and Moffitt Center Tampa FL, on the radar. Reading reviews, US News World Reports, word of mouth has all been great but at time difficult to interpret exactly what we are getting into, or perhaps whats the difference?  ANY FEEDBACK WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED AS TO THE BEST WAY TO CHOOSE THE PLACE TO GET TREATMENT DONE!  FINANCES AND INSURANCE ARE NOT THE DILEMMA. IT IS JUST MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE.  WE LIVE IN FLORIDA, AND HAVE FAMILY IN NC.

THANK YOU 

PATRICK 

[Tom Galli]

Patrick,

Certainly a cancer diagnosis is never good news and completely understand your wanting to find the best treatment facility. But, I'd wait for the biopsy results and the diagnosing oncologist consultation before thinking about treatment facilities. There is a lot of unknown information about your mom's cancer. Scans determine stage and she'll have many to confirm the location of other tumors if any. Biopsy determines type. Both type and stage must be known before a treatment plan can be developed.

We have what is called standard of care treatment keyed to associated stages and types of cancer.  First line (first treatment) standard of care for most who cannot have surgery is radiation and chemothearpy. Depending on the type of lung cancer, first line chemo may be given in pill form. So there is lots to discover. Check out LUNGeviaty.org and read about type and stage of lung cancer in the cancer 101 section. 

The decision about where this treatment should be given again depends on type and stage. If your mom has an unusual type of lung cancer or if treatment complications are expected, by all means consider a cancer center.  But the downside to a well known treatment center is waiting. I had my first, second and third line treatments in a small clinic. I had garden variety NSCLC Squamous cell so the small clinic center offered exactly what I'd get at a large cancer center hospital. I found close to home and friendly staff to be important considerations  

Welcome here. We are a good place for your questions. We are not doctors but are experienced cancer survivors who've seen and experienced it all.

Stay the course.

Tom

[diddytaughtme]

Thank you so much for making the time to reply.  It is greatly appreciated.  We had the consult with the Pulmonology Dr today. They showed us a picture of the mass.  It is blocking her right airway. They also told us she has COPD.  The mass is 4.4cm.  We have the biopsy scheduled for Thursday.  I will keep you folks posted as we go.

Thank again

Patrick

[LaurenH]

Hi, Patrick,

First, I want to say welcome to LCSC - we're glad you found us! This forum is a great place to connect and learn from others' experiences.

I am sorry that your family is going through a difficult situation. It's great that you're being proactive by seeking information and support to make sure that you're prepared to make decisions as you navigate your mother's diagnosis--whatever that may be. Like Tom said, the more detailed information you have, the easier it will be to make those types of decisions. I hope you get some answers from the biopsy and then if you're comfortable sharing the results, some of our members may be able to give you advice and recommendations based on their experience.

Please feel free to ask questions or jump in to any ongoing conversations in the discussion boards. If you'd like more information about a specific topic, please let me know and I'll be happy to help you find resources.

We are here for you.

Lauren
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Digital Community Manger
LUNGevity Foundation