Large right lobe upper lobe mass

[HollyT7]

Hello, I was wondering if anyone had as the post says, a large right lobe upper lobe mass? This is what they have just found with my mum. She’s had quite a bit of weight loss and has a scan tomorrow and possible report from this Friday to see exactly what it is but they are assuming lung cancer. I just want to be realistic and as prepared as I can for this. All I can think of is losing here as I don’t know anything about what treatments there are. I was wanting to know if people have had this and they have had anything done about it? I appreciate there could be other factors, but just looking for others experience at the moment. Thank you for listening.

[Hopeful51]

Sorry to hear about your mum - I was in a similar position with my husband earlier this year and understand how worrying the waiting is and you fear the worst. The advice I was given on here was absolutely right that you shouldn’t Google statistics as treatments are improving all the time. My husband underwent an upper right lobectomy in April and is doing well but he now jokes that I had him ‘written off’ before he was even diagnosed so I know you want to be prepared but also try keeping positive thoughts in there too for both your sakes as next few weeks will hopefully give you answers 🤞

[HollyT7 in reply to Hopeful51]

Hey thank you for this, today we found out that it is lung cancer and she may be able to have the same as your husband. Can I ask what recovery time was like for him?x

[Hopeful51 in reply to HollyT7]

My husband was 71 at time of op. He had op on Monday and spent first night in HDU but was able to call and speak to me from there. He was then moved to ward and was there until he was discharged with chest drain still in on the Saturday. He was able to walk hospital corridors etc before discharge. He did have a bit of a setback once home but that was just the shift from liquid morphine in hospital to codeine and wasn’t quite strong enough but once we got his pain levels steady he was able to move more easily. He was back driving within a few weeks and golfing again within 6 weeks. He found the breathing exercises really helped and still does them 2 or 3 times daily as he finds if he doesn’t do them his chest feels a bit tight but other than that he’s pretty much back to pre-op condition. Hope that helps and good luck with the op.

[bOden53]

Hi Holly, It is very scary going into the unknown. I had an upper right lobectomy in July 2018. Then I had 18months of pemrolizumab/keytruda. One is English word one is American! I chose not to have chemotherapy and I am here today, living a happy life and still annoying everybody. I had sarcoidosis as well as NSCLC. I didn't find the immunotherapy too bad and continued working. I did take a couple of months off after the lobectomy and had my sister to look after me. I spent a week in hospital after lobectomy but you can live a full and active life after.

Wishing you and your mum all the best. ❤️

[RoyCastleHelpline Partner Ask the Nurse Roy Castle]

Dear HollyT7

Welcome to the forum and so sorry to hear about the worry with your Mum. It is understandably an anxious and distressing time for you all.

To obtain a clear diagnosis, a CT scan is performed followed up by a PET scan, which is more detailed imaging. A bronchoscopy (a thin tube with a camera at the end to look at the lungs) and biopsy is usually performed.

The wait is a difficult time, and hopefully your Mum will have some answers on Friday.

Lung cancer treatments have improved greatly in the past decade; if caught early, surgery or radiotherapy is offered, this can be followed up with chemotherapy. Even those with advanced lung cancer, there are new treatments such as Immunotherapies and Targeted therapies that have made a huge difference for some in treating lung cancer and providing extension of life.

You may find our booklet on "Managing your lung cancer diagnosis" of use, not because we think your mum has lung cancer, but it provides information on the investigations and types of lung cancer: roycastle.org/app/uploads/2...

As Hopeful51 says, It is best to not google information, as a lot of this is inaccurate and not up to date. We have lots of information on our website, from diagnosis, the different treatments and living with lung cancer: roycastle.org/help-and-supp...

You are welcome to contact us to ask any questions or have a chat, you can call the nurse helpline number on 0800 358 7200 Monday to Thursday 0900-1700 and Friday 0900-1600, alternatively you can email ask the nurse at [e-mail]

Kind regards

The Roy Castle Support Team

[JanetteR57]

welcome to the group and can imagine your anxiety for you and your mum. I had a large mass shown in the upper left lobe of my lung on a chest x-ray in October when I went to A&E and discharged, readmitted the next day and kept in for a week, misdiagnosed as 'uncontrolled asthma' but a CT couldn't be done as the cough progressed during the week in patient stay so couldn't lie still enough. delays to CT caused by broken down scanner and consultant holiday meant it was several weeks before I had that then sent for a PET scan then an appointment with a consultant.

We often fear the worse when we hear the word cancer but at the moment they're treating her as 'suspicious for cancer' and doing tests to rule things out as well as in.

I had surgery called a lobectomy to remove the upper left lobe and a 7cm tumour which turned out in my case to be non small cell lung cancer, adenocarcinoma. I had open surgery (thoracotomy) whereas today most lung surgery is keyhole. Not many people are detected when surgery is possible so the majority have other treatments which now are many dependent on the tumour characteristics determined via a biopsy.

My diagnosis was in 2011 and I was back at work and swimming by end of March 2011 after surgery in the December. Since then, treatment options and treatment delivery methods have improved no end so even if it does turn out to be cancer, there are many treatments. I've been involved in lung cancer research since 2013 and met many patients who've done really well but we often don't imagine that scenario - somehow always imagining the worst due to media coverage/headlines/charity adverts usually showing a bleaker picture.

My dad had bowel cancer twice in his 50s when I was in my late 20s and we didn't think he'd reach 60. He had another primary bowel cancer in 2016 at the age of 86 and a third major operation and he's now 93. That experience helped me understand that there are cancer survivors and I've met many more during my involvement.

It's good you're there for her - the best thing she can do is build up her strength and keep active (walking is good) to either be ready for any treatments suggested. When she's given a diagnosis of what it actually was and some treatment suggested, hopefully you'll be able to move forward from this period of uncertainty and anxiety. good luck to you both.

[HollyT7]

Thank you for all of your replies. This evening we found out that it is lung cancer and hopefully she can have surgery to remove this x

[HollyT7]

just a little update for anyone who comes across this page really.

So my mum had a 84mm tumour on her right upper lobe. He’s had the lobe removed 5 weeks ago and had her follow up appointment today. They have thankfully, successfully removed this and the surrounding tissue biopsy came back as being clear too. She’s due another appointment with oncology to discuss what her treatment next will be to finish the loose ends

[HollyT7 in reply to HollyT7]

Due to her having sjogrens and kidney disease, with the risk of chemo causing further kidney issues which could cause kidney failure, mum opted against chemo. When she decided the consultation said he thought she made the right decision as it would lower the risk slightly but the side effects could outweigh the benefit.

[HollyT7]

thank you for all of the replies, I really appreciated them along with the support ❤️