Worried my mum has lung cancer

[kbel88]

Hello, sorry for the long post and I hope you don’t mind me posting on here. I’m my mums Full time carer as she has a number of illnesses, she has liver cirrhosis, epilepsy, lymphoedema, un-healed fractured pelvis and a blood disorder which causes her to suffer with severe anaemia, low platelets etc.

3 weeks ago I took her to a & e as she was having bad pain in her chest when breathing in. They took an X-ray and said she had a chest infection and sent her home with antibiotics which did help, another dr reviewed the X-ray a week later and said to repeat in 6 weeks to check there is no underlying lesions. On this Saturday she started getting the pain again and this time was extremely breathless, she couldn’t even talk without getting out of breath. They did another X-ray which showed a large pleural effusion on her right lung, they took a sample of the fluid and they said as it had blood in they need to do an urgent referral to the respiratory team and to have a ct scan. She is due the scan on weds.

The symptoms she has are:

Extreme tiredness, she sleeps all day and will fall asleep mid sentence.

Breathless

Wheezing

She lost a stone since January, loss of appetite

She didn’t have a cough untill after they found the fluid but has had a hoarse voice for a while.

Pain in her chest

The results of the fluid I have seen so far are

Fluid Glucose 4.6mmol/L

Fluid LDH 502 iu/L

Fluid total protein 44 g/L

Do you think it’s likely to be cancer? I know we have to wait untill a dr sees her but I want to be prepared so I can support her, I’m so worried, she’s so unhealthy as it is I don’t know if she will cope.

Thankyou so much for taking the time to read this and again I hope you don’t mind me posting

[Jenniferroseolson]

Don't apologize for posting. Our community is here to support you. Most of us are just "average" people, not medical professionals, so we won't be able to help you determine whether or not that fluid will be malignant. If she has so much fluid that it is limiting her breathing, she might need emergency care (a chest tube to drain the fluid, perhaps) to rid some of the fluid and make her able to breathe more easily and oxygenate appropriately. Perhaps you are also waiting on having a biopsy of tissue to determine if she has cancer. The waiting is so very exhausting and terrifying. I am sorry you are going through that.I will say with confidence, though, that IF she is diagnosed with lung cancer, it is no longer the death sentence it once was. Immunotherapy, targeted oral therapies, radiation, and chemo can be very effective, and tolerable, especially in early stage cancer. If you are in the UK, you could also reach out to the Roy Castle Foundation for lung Cancer at roycastle.orgplease continue to reach out here as you receive more information.

Jennifer

[Denzie Moderator Volunteer]

The fluid they took out will be tested for tumor cells. If they find cancer in the fluid they won’t need to do a tissue biopsy. There are more things than cancer that can cause a pleural effusion with blood. She certainly has some of the symptoms of lung cancer but they can also be related to some of her comorbidities.

Sending hope that this clears up enough (and soon) to get a clearer CT.

[Hidden]

Hello kbel

Please don't apologise for posting or long posts, I waffle on for ages! This forum is such a lifeline to many, we can communicate with each other, say someone with the same diagnosis or with Roy Castle Lung Foundation.

You are so worried and anxious right now and it's hard especially if you have family yourself.

If the Consultant in A&E is concerned by the fluid result or possibility of lung cancer they will refer her onwards quickly for further tests.

Symptoms of lung cancer don't always appear. I unfortunately was diagnosed in June last year, no symptoms whatsoever just caught by accident seeing GP with painful shoulder. Once diagnosed it moves fast like a roller coaster, one test after another, appointment after another, more than likely CT scan and PET scan quite soon if lung cancer diagnosed.

Hope this helps and sending my love.

xxxx

[Bebe55]

I'm truly sorry to her your mum's not in good health. My lung cancer was found because of plural effusion. I was constantly tired and had terrible pain in my back that went underneath my breast. The only way they can know for sure is to biopsy. This could be just and I don't say this lightly pluracy. Wishing you and your mum the best outcome.🤍

[TomAnderson]

Let me echo what Jennifer said about the massive improvements made over the past few years in the treatment of lung cancer. Within seven months of my diagnosis of inoperable stage IV non-small cell lung cancer and commencement of immunotherapy I was told there was no longer any evidence of disease. Let me also say my story was exactly like Loimie in that I had no symptoms whatsoever and my cancer was caught purely accident. Let the doctors do their job. These are the hardest days, the days of not knowing. But as been said before, once you have a diagnosis (and, by the way, don't jump to the cancer conclusion since I had pneumonia with symptoms like your mum's) and once treatment starts things will move very quickly. It is tough to do right now but be patient and let the experts do their jobs.

[JanetteR57]

It's natural to feel anxious about your mum especially with the many other conditions she has - but...... not every nasty symptom that causes breathlessness, loses weight or others you've listed are exclusive to cancer. many people with respiratory conditions like COPD/asthma also lose weight - as if we're struggling to breathe, using that energy to eat feels can feel too much so it's important to have our nutrition from sources like home made soups (bought from the chiller cabinet are fine) or food that's easier to digest than taking a lot of energy with chewing when we need to get air into our lungs... As others have said many are detected with lung cancer when investigating for other causes and many have the symptoms you describe for other things. I was diagnosed in January 2011 after having had half my lung removed and a 7cm tumour described as a 'lesion' when I went to A&E some months earlier, 'a large mass' by the surgeon that had to be removed. In my case it was lung cancer and I returned to work and an active live within a few short months. However from 2015 - 2019 I had some really nasty chest infections - at least one a year that turned out to be pneumonia, pseudomonas and RSV and all had far worse symptoms regarding breathlessness, coughing, extreme fatigue, loss of appetite, coughing up blood, hoarse voice and difficulties swallowing - none were related to my previous cancer diagnosis or a new malignancy.

As others have said the tests are many and take time but it's important to determine the cause so she can be given appropriate treatment - I'd add that all mine resolved in time.... so try not to read into things or symptoms and just be there to support her at this trying time. good luck to you both.

[PRI1111]

Hello Kbel!I am a Medical Oncologist in India

I read your post.

There could be underlying cancer but we also have few other possibilities for these symptoms. So let's wait for all reports including report of malignant cytology ( which is testing for cancer cells in the fluid). I see lots of excellent replies to your post . There are many treatment options available if it comes out to be cancer. Meanwhile work on building her nutrition as diseases with fluid formation can cause lot of weakness (especially as there is lot of breathing effort). A diet rich in protein should help .

Best wishes

[kbel88]

Thankyou so much to all of you, what a lovely group of people you all are. Thankyou for all of your advice and sharing your stories, I know I need to wait untill all tests are done and to speak with the drs. You are right waiting is the worst part I can’t help but think the worst but you have given me hope that even if it is then there are lots more options and treatment now. My mums g.p phoned and she needs another blood transfusion as her haemoglobin is 70 so that is probably why she is so tired aswell. She only just had 4 blood transfusion in January as it went down to 52, and while in hospital she got sepsis. If I know one thing about my mum it’s that whatever is thrown at her she is strong. Thankyou again for all being so kind and I hope you are all doing well x