Sclc? Waiting for biopsy

[SandyMumLC]

Hi,

Trying to see if there are similar experiences. My mum had a deep-vein thrombosis a month ago. As it can be a cancer sign, she went for a CT scan and found

1) 1 lymphnode of 3cm in left lung and few other limphnodes of 1cm in left lung.

2) 0.9cm mass in cerebellum 

No cancer mass seen though.

During the brain MRI, they said that the cerebellum mass "does not behave like a typical methatstasys", so might be an atypical methastasis.

Then last monday my mum had a biopsy of the larger lymphnode and the immediate analysis revealed "carcinoma", but more days are needed to know what type and of what organ. Due to the other signs, SCLC is suspected.

 

My question: has it happened to anyone to have a SCLC (possibly with met already) but without seeing the primary mass in the lungs? 

Does this experience resonate with some common facors experienced?

No clinical symptoms aside from the thrombosis.

[Tom Galli]

Sandy,

Welcome here.

To restate, have folks been diagnosed with lung cancer without noting a primary mass in the lungs? Yes. I'm not sure I understand the characterization of your mom's MRI result but small cell lung cancer is commonly found in the brain.

UK's medical system differs from that in the US but normally, one receives a lung cancer diagnosis (of any type) as the result of a histology examination of tissue performed by a pathologist. This examination is the diagnosis means usually revealing the type of lung cancer, non small cell or small cell, and if the former the subtype: adenocarcinoma, squamous cell, or rarely large cell. Histology results are generally available hours after the biopsy. Then tissue samples are sent for further laboratory analysis to yield information about biomarkers. In the UK, perhaps histology determinations take longer.

It is unusual to receive a diagnosis of lung cancer without noting a primary tumor. My tumor was noted immediately in the main stem bronchus of the right lung. Its size made it hard to miss. But unusual is not impossible. In the US, part of our diagnostic process is to administer a PET/CT after the initial CT and diagnosing biopsy. The PET is used to stage the disease. Staging is normally determined before a treatment plan is designed.

Lung cancer is often diagnosed without symptom presentation. 

I've been linking citations from Lungevity's Lung Cancer 101. Give it a read and let us know if you have further questions. We do hope your mother's thrombosis is successfully treated.

Stay the course.

Tom