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Guest patnchas

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Guest patnchas

i just discovered this site and it is just what i need as i have just found out that a recent chest x-ray, ct scan, and p.e.t. scan show 2 noduals in my left lung. here i am a non-smoker and i have something showing on my lung, i still can't believe it.

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I am so sorry you had to join our family, but it is a wonderful group where you will find a lot of support and answers to any questions you want to fire our way!

There are several of us non-smokers here who couldn't quite believe the diagnoses either. Like the majority of folks out there -- we thought it only happens to smokers. But as we all quickly learn, lung cancer doesn't discriminate..... :roll:

Again, welcome and I hope you will tell us more about yourself -- you can see my story in my signature below.

Take care,

Heather

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Guest patnchas

thanks for your replies so quickly. as i mentioned i've had the x-ray, ct and pet scans and now my doctor (internal) wants me to have a needle biopsy. my question is do i go ahead and have that or do i now want to get with a pulmonary doctor before the biopsy.... which comes first?

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Hi patnchas, and WELCOME! Like my friends have already said here, there are quite a few nonsmokers and never smokers on this site, so you will be in good hands because lots of people can identify with how shocked you are. I don't have answers about which doctor you should see first. Our family doctor sent my husband for a brain MRI because he was initially having headaches. As soon as the brain mets were discovered, we were immediately referred to an oncologist. The primary tumor was found in his lung. He has never seen a pulmonary doctor, just a team of great oncologists. My first response would be that since you don't have a cancer diagnosis at this time (and hopefully never!!!!!), that the internist would probably have a pulmonary doc do the biopsy anyway, but that really is just a guess. These nodules could be something and they could be nothing. I will pray for the nothing diagnosis. :)

Good luck to you with this journey, and please keep us posted as you get more information.

God bless you,

Peggy

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The order in which you do things is up to you, I can only tell you my order of events. I had an x-ray that showed a suspicious "spot". The next day I had a CT Scan spent the weekend waiting for the results. I then took the results to a Pulminologist and he sent me for a CT Guided Needle Biopsy. The Pulminologist was the one who had the unfortunate news of telling me the results. All of these test, from x-ray to biopsy, happened in one week's time.

I would suggest calling a Pulminologist tomorrow and see how soon you can get an appt. I would also suggest scheduling the biopsy tomorrow as well. When you make the pulm. appt., let them know you are scheduling the biopsy and go from there.

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My tumor showed on a chest x-ray to rule out TB (yeah, tuberculosis). First x-ray showed pneumonia (which I "shared" with my husband)...follow up x-rays showed he was clear and I - well, I wasn't. From a cloud on an x-ray, I went for a CT scan...and then things started to get a little more serious.

With the "suspicious mass" on the CT, my general practitioner sent me to a thoracic surgeon for a consult. He decided on a biopsy to "get a piece" of whatever it was...found out the same day as the biopsy that I had cancer - Adenocarcinoma, probably Stage I or II... Less than two weeks later, I was in surgery to remove the mass and two lobes of my right lung... Didn't see an oncologist until AFTER I had surgery...

Never smoker here...another "enlightened" soul and more proof that smoking isn't necessarily the culprit - proof that what you don't know can hurt you...

Glad you've found us, lots of Hope here.

Becky

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You can see my story at the bottom of my post. I had a chest film that showed a "spot"...then a CT that confirmed it was there. Next step was a CT guided biopsy done by a radiologist. Then the PET and then surgery. After surgery they told me I had two nodes involved (which had shown up on PET but the surgeon said to ignore them). It turned out the PET was correct so I then had chemo and radiation. That was over a year ago. I feel good except for some bronchitis that I can't seem to get rid of and a wheeze from the radiation. I will have more tests next month but as of April I was still clear. I am so sorry you have to be here but I agree that you need the biopsy. That will give the docs what they need to determine cell type and treatment options. I wish you well in your fight and hope that the biopsy turns out to be negative for cancer. You have come to the right place for support and answers. We will be more than happy to share our experiences with you.

Nina

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I am so sorry you have to be here, but welcome to the best site for support, caring and information.

I guess the most important thing I would say now, is waste no time. Get to whatever doctor and get whatever tests you need quickly. Do not let them put you off.

Why, well 2 reasons. If it turns out to be an infection you will sigh a big sigh of relief much faster. Or, if unfortunately, it is something more serious you can start your treatments ASAP.

Keep us posted and you will be included in our prayers.

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Just my opinion, but I think you should see a thoracic surgeon for an evaulation. My surgeon would not do a biopsy, which I now believe was the best course of action. He said it would be too difficult to get the right cells to diagnose, I could have bleeding, a collapsed lung, and any other number of things and besides that, the mass had to come out anyway.

From what others have described about the pain of a biopsy, I'm glad it was done while I was under sedation in the operating room.

I never have seen a pulmonologist.

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When my husband Dave was diagnosed in the hospital where I took him to the emergency room, everything happened so fast. He had dangerously low sodium levels, so he saw a kidney specialist on Saturday night. That guy referred a pulmonary doc to see him because of the mass in his lung. That guy saw him first thing on Monday morning. He wanted to do a needle biopsy but couldn't because of where the tumor was. So he got a thoracic surgeon to see him That guy saw him later that day and did the surgical biopsy on Wed. He referred an oncologist to Dave which saw him on Wednesday and on Thursday he had his first dose of chemo. On Friday he met with the radiologist.

I guess my point is: (1) don't waste ANY time; and (2) you probably need the needle biopsy, it surely must be less invasive than a surgical biopsy and must be the first choice of method of biopsy unless it's not practicable as in Dave's case.

There's not much they can or will do until they know what kind of lung cancer you have (and hopefully it isn't cancer at all but an infection).

Please keep us posted.

God Bless,

Karen C.

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For me it was a pulmonary doctor who did the biopsy under CT. All appointments were set up ( doctors, CT, bone scans etc) I just kept going each day to one or another. Please keep us posted. Donna G

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