lung Biopsy , FNAC

[Dick117]

Hi,

i had cough and wheeze for 2 months, got CT lungs which showed 3.4 cms benign , FNAC showed benign . cough was treated with antibiotics and its gone .

doc advised me second opinion and second FNAC Biopsy showed " no decision".

one doc advised it to remove it while others are saying to keep a watch for 6 months to see if there's any growth .

i am confused what to do .

Thanks

Dicky

[RoyCastleHelpline Partner Ask the Nurse Roy Castle]

Hi Dick117

Sorry to hear your worry about your recent chest infection. It is understandable that you may be confused as to what to do. It is also encouraging that the sample was benign. You wrote it was gone, does that mean it has now recurred?

I assume it was a respiratory specialist you saw, if not request to be referred to them, lung surgery is not usually done for benign lesions.

Sometimes there are lung nodules, which many can be benign, these are monitored over 3-6 monthly scans, if they grow between 6mm-10mm or above then biopsy is recommended.

Perhaps ask for more clarity as you do not feel reassured, and you could ask for a consultation to discuss further.

If there is anything you would like to discuss 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

[Dick117 in reply to RoyCastleHelpline]

thanks for quick reply, i meant with antibiotics cough and wheezing was gone . lesion is still there . pet scan shows activity at the lesion but FNAC shows benign. doctors conducted another tissue Biopsy but second Biopsy result was " non Conclusive" . i am confused on what to do next

[RoyCastleHelpline Partner Ask the Nurse Roy Castle in reply to Dick117]

It may be that they have to continue to scan you every 3 months to assess, however it is difficult if the biopsy is inconclusive. You may wish to ask them for a PET scan, which is a more detailed imaging, you could ask either your GP or respiratory doctor if that is who you have seen.

You could ask for a second opinion through your GP, and it may be worth persisting for answers or some reassurance.

If you are not getting anywhere, you may wish to contact the Patient Advice Liaison services at the hospital where you got the scan, they are known as PALS and this is the link to their website: nhs.uk/nhs-services/hospita...

Wishing you the very best.

The Roy Castle Support Team

[JanetteR57]

Totally understand your confusion about what to do - but if two fine needle biopsies have so far shown the lesion to be benign and chest infection has improved, have they said whether they'll keep you under active surveillance?

I had open lung surgery to remove a 7cm tumour and half my left lung in Dec 2010 and hadn't had a biopsy and was told that whatever it was, it needed to come out then find out what it was and decide any further treatment.

Mine turned out to be adenocarcinoma - non small cell lung cancer. Since then, knowledge and treatments have changed considerably and we ave many areas who have been aiming for earlier detection with lung health checks for many years. These have revealed that the incidence of lung nodules is far greater than previously believed but like moles on the skin, very few develop into anything harmful. If yours has already been tested twice and found to be benign, that's encouraging.

As a result of the increased incidence, guidance has been strengthened about how to manage lung nodules under the British thoracic society guidelines. I'd be tempted to ask either of the doctors who did the biopsies how they intend to handle your situation in future. Lung surgery can impact quality of life, breathing etc as they usually remove at least one lobe of the lung affected along with the tumour so if patients already have some other conditions especially those that affect breathing like asthma, COPD, they tend to err on the side of lung preservation and treat if malignant with other anti-cancer treatments. Whilst the majority of lung surgery in the UK is now undertaken by keyhole/minimally invasive means, it still impacts the patient through the treatment, recovery and beyond.

hope you can find out some more answers to your questions so whatever you decide, you're making a decision from a fully informed position. good luck.

[19371973]

I too can understand your confusion as to what to do . 2 years gone April I was found to have a 4 cm tumor in lower right lobe whilst having scan for something else. As I was a never smoker I was so shocked.

The onsultant said it was probably benign but would monitor for 3/4 months, when it was found to have grown 2mm. After a biopsy proved inconclusive and no one would actually put their name to it being cancer I saw an excellent surgeon who said I was a perfect case for a lobectomy as nothing in lymph nodes, and was stage 2. Pet scans showed no take up elsewhere so there was literally no time to waste. He explained fuly that it would be a life changing op and possibly might prove unnecessary in the long run but I decided very quickly that there was no time to waste and havent regretted it at all. It all happened in 7 days so I didnt have time to think about it. I have had two CT scans both clear, and hopefully it will stay that way. I think because I had no symptoms and was otherwise fit my recovery was quick and without any problems . I hope this might be of help to you and wish you well for the future.

[tracyball1]

O Dickie reading has given a bit of hope, waiting on my biopsy patch same size as yours, I'm petrified crying, can't eat or sleep. X