so worried about my mum 💖

Hi - just need to talk to someone, my mum has a CT scan on Sunday on her lungs, she is 64 and has never smoked but for a while now she has suffered from breathlessness and a very slight and occasional cough but is not as far as I know coughing up any blood. Apart from this she is feeling well, her appetite is normal and she has not lost any weight. Her last xray showed a very small collapse of the lung but her doctor thinks she is very unlikely to have lung cancer, but I'm so scared in case they find something sinister and I know she is worried too.

[RoyCastleHelpline Partner Ask the Nurse Roy Castle]

Dear Missycat1

Welcome to the forum and sorry to hear the worry of your Mum. It is encouraging that your Mum is feeling well, and that the doctor has said it is unlikely it is cancer. Your mum's symptoms could be many things other than cancer, but understandably a worry for you.

It is good they are following it up with a CT scan, a chest x-ray shows any abnormality ,including which could be the partially collapsed lung, which could present as shortness of breath. Confirmation is always good to have on the CT scan.

You may not get the result immediately, unless your Mum is in hospital just now then you will know quite quickly. A report will go to your GP, so you can ask when the report will be available and contact the GP.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to discuss further or after the scan, you can email ask the nurse at [e-mail] or call our free phone nurse led helpline number on 0800 358 7200 Monday to Thursday 0900-1700 and Friday 0900-1600

Kind regards

The Roy Castle Support Team

[Bow-19]

Hoping that your Mum doesn’t have lung cancer. I think it’s 20 percent of people who are diagnosed with lung cancer who have never smoked. If your Mum is diagnosed with lung cancer, I would make sure that she is tested for specific mutations so that you know she gets the best treatment available.Hope that it’s something else which is causing your Mums problems x

[JanetteR57]

sorry to read about your mum and your fears - it's still investigations they're carrying out and at this stage could be anything - infection, post viral symptoms so try not to get ahead of yourself. I was 52 and had never smoked when diagnosed after symptoms took me off to A&E and a chest x-ray revealed a large mass - I didn't lose weight or cough up blood - there are other symptoms but I never thought nor did the medics it would be 'sinister'. I had treatment (surgery) and diagnosis confirmed but was back at work and swimming 3 months later - that was in 2011 and treatments have changed considerably since then for the better so fingers crossed it isn't sinister but try not to automatically think there is only one outcome even if turns out to be.... try not to google as therein lies the route to madness as so much information is out of date, inaccurate and from other countries/healthcare systems..... listen to her concerns, be there for her when she needs and fingers crossed they can find out what it is and get her appropriate treatment. I've had several severe chest infections that caused much worse symptoms than my original diagnosis but all have responded eventually to the appropriate treatment. good luck to you both.

[Hidden]

hi everyone just an update - Mum has had her results, it's basically a fatty lump on the heart which has spread to her lung, not as scary or worrying as it sounds - the doctor says if she loses weight it should disappear on its own but if it doesn't it won't harm her. So it's not cancer or anything else nasty - so relieved and so is she xx