Not all angina pains are heart related.

[Palpman]

I had a thread recently about my wife having chest pain, jaw pain and arm pain and having to wait 5 hours for an ambulance and another 4 hours to be finally wheeled into A&E.

She had an x-ray and blood tests done. GTN spray immediately stopped the pains and she was discharged with no diagnosis.

This week (2 weeks later) they phoned her and needed to see her urgently the same day.

The x-ray showed a golf ball size mass in her lung near the heart.

Cancer tumours in the lungs can mimic angina and refer pain to the arm and jaw.

So I'm pleased her diagnosis was not just filed away as we thought but saddened that it took so long. Her GP told her 2 months earlier that the pains were anxiety without even touching her at all.

So it is worth keeping this in mind as many people are told that these symptoms are vasospasms.

[Milkfairy Heart Star]

It is good to hear that the cause of your wife's chest pain has been found.I am sorry they have found a mass in her lungs. I hope she will now receive the care she needs.

I do have a confirmed diagnosis of vasospastic angina following a specialised angiogram. However I do agree that the diagnosis of microvascular or vasospastic can be presumed without proper testing.

This is not good medicine, for the reasons you state.

[Goldenheart in reply to Milkfairy]

Hi milk fairy, i agree,im still battling with a presumed diagnosis of the same,three years down the line. I was recently told there is no test for microvascular. Following your last reply to me,im assured there is. Different dctrs,different info. Sorry for jumping in on this post, Palpman, hope your wife is ok.

[jeanjeannie50]

Palpman, I'm so sorry to hear your wife's diagnosis, but thank goodness they found it. I do wonder how it managed to take 2 weeks to tell her. I feel cross any time people are told that their symptoms are anxiety related, because that's just what docs have guessed it is without any tests whatsoever.

My sister had lung cancer about 5 years ago and after an op is now really well. Let us know how your wife gets on please.

Jean

[Palpman]

Thanks for the well wishes.The tumour has spread to 2 nodes and is too close to major vessels to operate

We will get more info next week after the PET scan and biopsy.

[MONIREN]

I'm so sorry about your wife's diagnosis, it is frustrating it takes vital time to properly assess someone. Anxiety is an easy way out for doctors, what comes first, pain or anxiety from the pain. Hope everything goes well. Take care. Moni

[RufusScamp]

Thank you for sharing this warning. I am very sorry to hear your wife had to wait so long. I hope all goes well. My love and a virtual hug to you both.

[Palpman]

Thank you so much. Been looking for a forum.

[Hidden in reply to Palpman]

I’m a member - excellent and very knowledgeable bunch of people. Also generally very nice, to boot. The majority have COPD, and/or non-cf bronchiectasis, and/or various interstitial lung diseases, but there are a small number that have direct experience of lung tumours, so hopefully you might be able to get some support. The BLF also run a decent telephone helpline, details a third of the way down their page about lung cancer:

blf.org.uk/support-for-you/...

[mathematics]

Sorry to hear your news must have been so frightening for your wife. Hope that she gets the care she needs now.

[meadfoot]

So sorry to hear this, i hope your wife gets the best possible care now things are at last moving forward. Anxiety the great catch all for medics, its beyond belief.

[Qualipop]

So sorry to hear her diagnosis b ut it must be a relief that they continued looking and found it. Best of luck to her. BTW not all masses are cancerous. I know someone who had a lung mass and it was found to be something they had inhaled that had set up inflammation around it. Sorry I have now read your reply and see that it's spread.Hoping they can do something. I would go back and play merry h*** with that GP.

[080311]

I am so very sorry to read your post, my thoughts are with you both. Hopefully next week after her PET scan and biopsy you will have more information. When you are given a diagnosis like this it’s mind numbing, the whole family go into panic mode.Have a nephew in the States, and we have been through such a roller coaster ride this year, thankfully he as been told by his oncologist he is doing well and he rang the Bell just 2 weeks ago and doesn’t need to see him for 3 months. He is a surgeon in the States and as been so concerned to get back to his patients. Though he was told to rest. The treatment can be so severe, I am sure your wife will be well looked after.

Best wishes to you both Pauline

[Palpman in reply to 080311]

Thank you for your words of reassurance.

[SuperFluff]

I think that it is so good of you to write this post and potentially help others at a difficult time for both your wife and yourself. You are in my thoughts xx