My mum 65 yrs was told 6 wks ago that she had a 25mm area on her left lung found as a result of an incidental findnig on chest xray

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.6 weeks later she had a PET scan. On initial CT there were no nodes or metasteses seen .On PET scan 2 hotspots have been shown in the right lung. I think we now face CT guided biopsy. Does this mean stage 4, we were so hopeful for surgery at the begining at first and now feel lost.

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Hi,

if it is is both lungs it does mean a stage 4. This is not certain yet but even if it is all is not lost. There are many people with stage 4 that are surviving for years and there are people with what was thought to be stage 1 and 2 and curable that then develop mets a couple of years later and get restaged to a stage 4.

Even if it is now a stage 4 it has still been caught early with no obvious distant mets or lymph node involement.

I am a stage 4 diagnosed March last year aged 49, I have since discovered that even at stage 4 there are still varying levels. There are lots of treatment options. All specimens are now routinely sent for gene mutation testing and if positive chemo can be given in tablet form with minimal side effects. Only 10% of people do teat postive for this though.

You have to have hope and be positive and so does your mum. I don't feel 'ill' I enjoy everyday and a doing lots of things I always wanted to do. Remember it may not be curable but it is treatable and whatever the staging your mum is now in the right place.

take care

Lyn x