biopsy results

[Hedgehog43]

I have been diagnosed with Squamous cell lung cancer, I met with the respiratory doctor, who is booking me in for a pneumonectomy, has anyone had this procedure and can offer any advise

[RoyCastleHelpline Partner Ask the Nurse Roy Castle]

Hi Hedgehog43

Welcome to the forum and so sorry to hear you have lung cancer, am sure you will find support and encouragement from others on the forum.

I believe we have been in contact with you already and you are welcome to contact us on the details below if you would like to discuss anything - our ask the nurse helpline freephone number is 0800 358 7200 Monday to Thursday 0900-1700 and Friday 0900-1600, alternatively you can email us at [e-mail]

Kind regards

Ask the nurse support team

The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.

[Eglingham]

Good morning,Sorry to hear of your diagnosis.

I had a pneumonectomy May 2020, I had open surgery due to the position of the tuma, I was home within 4days and my recovery was good.

The key is to follow advice and take things one day at a time, I bought myself a cross trainer and started slowly just doing 5 mins at a time but that soon built to 40mins.

Life is at a slower pace but I'm working full time and living life.

Take one day at a time and be good to yourself, know your limits.

Good luck with the surgery and if you have a question shout up, if I can answer it I'm happy to as I know how scary it is going into it. 🙏

[JanetteR57]

Always a shock when we're diagnosed and lung surgery has changed considerably since my open thoracotomy to remove an upper left lobe in Dec 2010 as most UK surgery is now minimally invasive/keyhole known as VATS/RATS. I was back at work and swimming within a few months and up and about, showering, walking within days of coming home. I was given an incentive spirometer to improve my breathing when I came home and exercises to move my shoulder/arms/torso by the physiotherapist who visited me on the ward. By the time of my first follow up (almost a month after surgery (when I was given my diagnosis) I was up and about almost normally. Not having had surgery since my tonsils were removed before I was 4, I had nothing to compare it with and focused on my recovery and returning to work/normal life.

Being detected when surgery is an option offers different treatment options than those detected at a more advanced stage and recovery will depend on your fitness and any other conditions you may have.

The booklet by Roy Castle lung cancer foundation on lung surgery is packed full of information and hints and tips from those who've gone through lung surgery. It's a mine of information including target recovery milestones. roycastle.org/app/uploads/2...

One of the main things to note is to keep as active as possible before and after surgery - no need to run marathons! but keep moving/walking etc to ensure you're fit enough for the op and that your remaining lung redevelops quickly after the surgery.

Pneumonectomy used to be a common operation for TB years ago - I didn't learn until a few years ago that my uncle had one of his lungs removed - I'd had no idea.

Squamous cell lung cancer differs from adenocarcinoma (which I had) for which some are able to benefit from targeted treatments (they weren't around when I was diagnosed in Jan 2011 apart from on clinical trials for those with EGFR mutation which I didn't have.

Good luck with your surgery and recovery. Keep us posted.

[Hedgehog43 in reply to JanetteR57]

Thank you, it’s good to hear everyone’s experiences as up until this week I had never heard of a pneomonectomy, so I had no idea of what to expect, hearing the success of others has helped massively, I’ve started swimming again and going for longer walks, so I can hopefully be in the best position for the surgery , I will certainly keep you updated, I have another lung function test tomorrow and a CT scan on Monday, so I think things are starting to move quite quickly

[JanetteR57 in reply to Hedgehog43]

I'm a swimmer too - and went onto swim much further than the 130 lengths I used to do 2-3 times a week pre surgery. Last year I met a colleague in a pool on a course and learnt he'd had a pneumonectomy so asked him whether he had any issues with swimming - having read the comment in the booklet and queried this with the person who was revising the booklet at Roy Castle foundation. My colleague said he'd never experienced any issues with swimming and swam regularly.

It's a great all round exercise and can also improve breathing - when I first returned, I lay on my back, sculling my arms at my side and kicking my legs as freestyle/front crawl was painful but then I had left it a few months post surgery until I asked my surgeon if I could return. He was surprised I hadn't gone previously and said the muscles would have shortened so may be painful to start off with but told me to rebuild distance each time. I did and was back to my 130 lengths just 3 months later but increased it significantly in the months after that.

Once I'd had all the scans things moved quickly but until that point I had lengthy delays. good luck.

[Hedgehog43 in reply to JanetteR57]

That’s a fantastic recovery and I hope mine is just as successful, like you I have had lengthy delays to get the diagnosis, but now it does seem to be moving quite quickly

[Denzie]

To prepared for recovery, if you have a reclining chair plan to sleep in it. Tuck pillows around your side to support the ribs. If a recliner is not available use a wedge pillow, again with pillows to tuck in around your side. Also, have a pillow on hand that you can hug if you feel a cough or sneeze coming on.

[Hedgehog43 in reply to Denzie]

Thank you, that is very useful to know, I don’t have a recliner or wedge pillow, but will get one before my procedure