PET Scan Results are now back and showing two cancers, worst possible news i wanted to hear Monday 18th March, i had wrote a article 2 weeks ago on this topic. I have COPD and on Oxygen for activity In 2016 September 12th I had a left lung lobectomy bottom half removed , because of two cancers on bottom of lung, operation was successful, recovered from that, i also have fibrosis and emphysema ,
The suggested course of treatment is Radiotherapy, problem is it is the treatment which will scar a proportion of my lung and make my breathing worse with having to use Oxygen continuous, where at present i use it for activity. so yes can get rid of he cancer ,but will be left with even more breathing problems,
so i have decided to have CT scans every 3 months and see if the cancers get considerably worse , than make a decision on treatment of Radiotherapy, it is about quality of life at present , this has hit me very hard , how do we cope with this type of news ? have any one had this treatment on there lungs , just wondering the damage radiotherapy it has caused to others, would be interesting to hear. wish i could be more positive
thank you
Written by
Guy59
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So sorry to hear about your bad news. I have no experience with radiation therapy. I had R upper and middle lobes removed and that did have a significant impact on my functioning, so I understand a bit .
Guy, So sorry to hear this. You are processing some difficult news. I think asking for others to share their experiences with radiotherapy is very helpful. Giving yourself a couple of months before another scan will also give you the time to make the best treatment decision for you. I believe in being positive but can understand why that is hard right now. Since I only did chemo and targeted drugs, I can’ t help you out with info on other treatments. Just wanted you to know how much I am pulling for you and will keep you in my thoughts,
I am very sorry that you are having to deal with this again. I have never had radiotherapy, so I can't advise on that, but I do have emphysema and have lost both right and left upper lobes to lung cancer, so I do understand that concern. After the second LC surgery I came home on oxygen 24/7, but after a few months of healing I was off of it. Now the lowest my oxygen level seems to drop to is 96, but a few deep breaths brings it back up to 98 or 99.
I was very lucky that both times my LC was found early before it had a chance to spread.
I do still use the oxygen overnight, but that's only because I have sleep apnea. My breathing would get so shallow that my oxygen level would drop into the 70's. I was fine with the cpap machine, but I can no longer use it because exhaling against that incoming air pressure has gotten too difficult for me.
I had my right upper lobe removed in Jan. 2017 follows by 4 sessions of chemo (cisplat and Altima). Standard treatments for my adenocarcinoma. Dec. 2018 had 3 treatments of SBRT. The radiation was not as bad as the surgery or chemo. My breathing is labored but no more so than prior to radiation. My breathing issues are a fact I have to deal with. Not on oxygen yet but see that in my future perhaps. I do use 2 inhalers, trelogy and albuterol. This is not a sexy, cool disease by any means. I can relate to your struggles. I am currently under a 3 month watch for monitoring growths. I go again for Pet scan and consult at the end of this month. More growth = more radiation.
My lungs are scarred from the radiation, yes. How large are the lesions? Did you ever learn about the genomic testing? SBRT and IMRT cause less scarring than traditional radiation get a second opinion and ask about them.
If the lesions are smaller than 1cm, waiting 3 months and retesting is the best idea. There are many things that can cause nodules to happen including allergies, illness and exposure to fumes.
Sorry to hear this rotten news for you. I've not had radio either but there will be people on here to give you their experiences and information. I think a wait and watch plan is down the best route. I still have a nodule but may have been here since the year dot on my upper right lobe but certainly had it for 8 years. I am regularly monitored for it and as I am not in any pain with the nodule just carry on regardless. Wasn't that a Barbara Windsor film.
I had a tumor on my right lung, which was cancerous. I also have COPD. Because of it I chose to have radiation Instead of surgery. I had 5 treatment of radiation. It shrunk it enough that I don't have to go back for 6 months. I'll have a CAT scan then. (I misplaced my papers with the shrinkage amount)
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and thank you
Worried Again
Getting PET scan results this Thursday 
