Maritza Posted May 9, 2022 Share Posted May 9, 2022 Hi I just got a thoracotomy and found out my lung nodule was adenocarcinoma. Still recovering at home. Seeing my surgeon in 2 weeks..I dont know what s next ..surgeon said it was small and she went for a segmentomy confident the tumor is all out..But I dont know what's next..Have 2 girls 11 and 12..I want to stay strong.. Justin1970 and LouT 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Galli Posted May 9, 2022 Share Posted May 9, 2022 Martiza, Oh my! I spent my teen years hanging out at Thunderbird on West Chester Pike, likely right down the road from you. It has the world's best cheesesteaks! My suggestion is to recover and when you see your surgeon, ask for a referral to a medical oncologist. We all pray that first-line surgery gets everything but lung cancer is so dangerous because it recurs. A medical oncologist will set up a scheduled screening process to catch any recurrence early, before things spin out of control. Also ask your surgeon to submit your biopsy tissue for follow-on laboratory analysis, called biomarker testing, to determine suitability for targeted therapy or immunotherapy. These days, follow-on testing is commonplace but sometimes doctors (or insurance) don't embrace this form of testing for early stage (Stage I or II) diagnosis. It would be comforting to know you've got a "super drug" in your pocket in the event our nasty disease tries to re-establish a foothold in your body! Welcome here. Stay the course. Tom LouT, Judy M2 and Justin1970 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LilyMir Posted May 9, 2022 Share Posted May 9, 2022 Hi Maritza, I am a newbie too and my kid is only 6 so feel your worry. I had a lobectomy and await genetic testing to inform my adjuvant chemo/targeted therapy. I second Tom's points about pushing for followup and genetic testing, to be on he safe side. Best wishes for a great outcome. Justin1970, LouT and Tom Galli 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen_L Posted May 11, 2022 Share Posted May 11, 2022 Hi Maritza, Well, you must feel like you've been smacked in the gut. I don't think anyone is ready to hear the word adenocarcinoma; I certainly wasn't. The thing that surprised me at the beginning was that, despite the fact that the cancer center folks were assuring me they were acting with almost unheard-of speed, it took weeks for them to do all the tests. PET, MRI, EBUS bronchoscopy... then the surgeon said, due to the location of tumors etc., she couldn't help me. So off to the medical and radiation oncologists I went. Then the genomic testing results showed up. I felt like so much was coming at me so fast.... I'm glad you have a chance to heal a bit before seeing your surgeon again. I echo what Tom said about getting into the care of a medical oncologist. I can't emphasize strongly enough how important it is to be in the care of a lung cancer oncologist. The field is exploding with new research every day. Only a specialist would be able to stay on top of the info. I looked at your location--are you outside of Philadelphia? You're lucky-- there are several NCI-designated cancer centers there. Read about what NCI-designated cancer centers are here. There are four of these in Philadelphia alone, which gives you good options and possibilities. You might find it helpful to get a bigger perspective of lung cancer. Lungevity's info is a good place to start. (This discussion board is one of Lungevity's projects.) Diagnosing Lung Cancer goes into more detail about the biomarker testing Tom mentioned, plus other good stuff. Types of Lung Cancer would also be a good start to building a solid knowledge base. Hang in there. Try very very hard to keep your mind in the present moment. I'll share that when I hear myself think, "What if___________" I know I am treading on thin ice. I can fill in that blank with all kinds of scenarios, and work myself into quite a lather. So I immediately change my train of thought to something right in front of me, and get busy doing something. It has helped me a great deal. Also, be kind to yourself. Nobody can be strong all the time. I hope you have people around you who can hold you up through these times. Keep us posted. Karen Tom Galli and LouT 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Cornett Posted May 12, 2022 Share Posted May 12, 2022 Hi - just wanted to say I'm glad you found us. I know it's hard at this point but try to stay positive. So much has changed in lung cancer over the years and it's not the death sentence it once was. I was diagnosed with stage IV adenocarcinoma in February 2016, and I've been NED (no evidence of disease) since October 2018. Treatment was tough - not going to pull your leg on that - but I'm here to talk about it. That's what matters. Keep us posted on your progress. BridgetO, LouT, WalkingHorse and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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