Lung Mets

[Lulu4545]

What are the symptoms? I have difficulties breathing deaply and some times it makes me cough.

Thanks a lot

Lu

[Aprilfoolz1]

I don't have lung Mets but wanted to ask if you are on Ibrance ? Ibrance and all cdk 4-6 meds has a side effect that can cause lung inflammation (I can't think of the name ? Send your medical oncologist a message about your symptoms . Hopefully it is nothing serious, let us know. Ok ?

[Bettybuckets]

I’m worried too.. when I breathe in it sometimes sounds like fireplace bellows… scan on Tuesday and then I will know. Meanwhile I’m enjoying a trip to Oak Island NC with my sister for her 65th bday!

Oak island NC

[HelenWi in reply to Bettybuckets]

Enjoy your weekend, Beth !

[Kiss_my_grits in reply to Bettybuckets]

No way, Beth! I’m also on Oak Island celebrating a friends 50th.

Pic of me on beach

[Bettybuckets in reply to Kiss_my_grits]

Omg! Please let’s try to meet up! I’m going to the Elks Clubs Pink party (Breast cancer fund raiser). It is right by a beach… text my cell is 781-975-8937 and we can make a plan to swim together!

Woo hoo 65!

[Bettybuckets in reply to Bettybuckets]

Looks like we were on the same beach! We went to the elks club pink party fund raiser today for Breast cancer. You would have loved it. Tiki bar across from the beach!

[Kiss_my_grits in reply to Bettybuckets]

I hate that I missed it and the chance to meet you!

[Bettybuckets in reply to Kiss_my_grits]

Hi miss Grits… where do you live normally? I’m in Boston … any chance you would be coming here?

[Kiss_my_grits in reply to Bettybuckets]

I live in Charlotte. Unfortunately no plans to be in Boston.

[Bettybuckets in reply to Kiss_my_grits]

All my friend on oak island lives in Charlotte so maybe I will be back there to visit

[Tantalon7211]

It could be Gerd or hiatal hernia

I had the same thing, and was diagnosed with that

[Hazelgreen]

I have had lung mets for at least four years. I have a sometimes cough, and am easily out-of-breath, but mostly, I know I have lung mets because they are revealed on my CT scans.

[Lulu4545 in reply to Hazelgreen]

Hi Hazelgreen,

Thanks for answering. What de you mean by easily out of breath ?

I can still do things. It's just I realise I can't do as much as before as I get out of breath now. I'm jsut wondering if it's lung mets or not being fit anymore + putting on weight.

[Hazelgreen in reply to Lulu4545]

Hi Lulu, In my case, it is probably all you mentioned. I'm now 78, and lost about 20 pounds when my husband was sick/died. I'm now putting weight back on, but have yet to restart exercise. I think my being out-of-breath will much improve once I start aquafitness, etc. I've had lung mets since metastatic breast cancer was diagnosed five years ago. I don't think the mets need to hold me back, but they are likely the source of my sometimes cough. Currently, I really don't notice breathlessness much until I lift heavy things but expect to be breathless when I start to do repetative exercises.

[Hidden]

Hi, In August 2022 I was diagnosed de nova MBC with mets to lungs, as well as bones and liver. I also had a large pleural effusion. The only symptom I had was shortness of breath, it was so bad I could hardly get out of bed or walk from one room to another, I didn't have a cough or any pain even when I tried to breath. I had just got over Covid so thought it was something to do with that. I've been on Ibrance and Letrozole ever since, and an indwelling pleural catheter for the effusion. Fortunately I don't have any breathing problems or cough at the moment even with the lung mets. I would speak to your oncologist or oncology nurse. Wishing you all the best.

[JKMS]

I have mets in my mediastinum (space between lung) and have no symptoms but before diagnosis had a cough at times.

[RedAzalea]

I have lung Mets.

As others have pointed out, a rare, but very serious side-effect of CDK4/6 inhibitors is pneumonitis or interstitial lung disease. You need a Chest CT to test for this.

Also GERD can cause coughing! The CDK 4/6 Inhibitors also cause GERD! Make sure you sleep propped up or with a wedge pillow.

Lung Mets generally presents with shortness of breath (especially from any exertion) and a persistent cough.

GERD is so common. Hoping that’s what it is!

[Lulu4545 in reply to RedAzalea]

Hi Redazalea,

Thank for answering. I read about the condition on CDK4/6. Yet I've been on Ibance for 3 years now. I think I'd have had this at the beginning. Or can it come after ?

[RedAzalea in reply to Lulu4545]

Honestly, I am not sure!!! I think it’s possible. I genuinely feel that you need to get a chest CT scan. Contact your oncologist and tell them you want to out-rule interstitial lung disease/pneumonitis, and check your lungs for any possible new progression, Chest CTs give the best picture of your lungs that any technology will give! MRI, PET, none of them reveal the lungs better than a chest CT scan😻

Again, hoping this chest CT comes back clear/stable and then we know it’s most likely GERD!

[Lulu4545 in reply to RedAzalea]

Hi again,

How interesting! I've just looked up GERD. I really believe I've got this. 3 years ago I was in ER because I kind of didn't swallow some water right - It got caught/blocked and started chocking. I then had huge pain swallowing. It lasted a few days. ER said it was anxiety. It happens to me regularly - not always as bad. I often have acidic reflux and - very embarrasing - need to burp a lot and very loudly - I try to keep this to when I'm on my own. If other symptoms are shortness of breath sometimes and cough - this could be what I've got. I have my next PET on the 26th. Will see onc on the 10th October. Just have to see...

Thanks a lot

[Aprilfoolz1 in reply to Lulu4545]

Interstitial lung disease from Ibrance can start at any time. Please contact your oncologist and let us know how it goes !

[Warrior77]

I had that problem. It got so bad I went to the ER. Turned out I had fluid in the space around my lungs. They took 950 ml of fluid out and my lungs rexpanded and I’m back to normal. An X-ray will tell them if that’s what’s going on. There was no infection or cancer cells in the fluid, so amen to that. I’m on ibrance and I was terrified it was inflammation. Happy ending for me.

[Lulu4545 in reply to Warrior77]

Hi Warrior77,

Thanks for answering. Are there other symtoms for fluid around the lungs like being bloated ?

[Warrior77 in reply to Lulu4545]

Hi Lulu4545. For me, I had an elevated heart rate when I did even simple things, I had a fever that got worse over time, and generally felt listless. I had a dry cough that got progressively worse, especially if I laid down or bent over. It is best to go to the ER or call your onc to get it checked out. Whatever is going on, it’s best to get it checked out and addressed as soon as possible.

[Kaylab]

I could not breathe deep, out of breath going up stairs. I had small coughs because could not catch breath throughout the day. I had a COVID test because I though maybe that was the issue. Came back negative. So got a chest X-ray and CT and that is when they found Mets to lungs, liver and bones. That was my original diagnosis Nov 2020.

[Lulu4545 in reply to Kaylab]

Hi Kaylab,

Thanks for answering. That's scaring me. Those are my symptoms. Difficulties breathing deap and sometimes just breathing deap can give me a dry cough. Seems like I've got cold. Breathing is fine when I'm really busy and don't think about it but as soon as I sit down or make a big effort I'm thinking 'this is nor how it should be'. Very stressful.

I can still manage to get to the second floor, but a little out of breath when I get there. I was on holiday in the mountains and found it really difficult to get to the top whereas it used to be easy for me in the past. Thought it was because I'm really fit anymore and I've put weight on.

[Chamisa]

Seven years after my initial breast cancer I was diagnosed with MBC (last August, 2022) —extensive mets in my liver, lungs, and bones. I had developed a dry cough which got progressively worse, yes, breathing deeply would be a trigger but even talking a lot ended up being a trigger. Ibrance worked wonders for my lungs but did little for my liver and bones, so I changed to Xeloda and have been on that for eight months. Everything is much better. I get scanned again in two weeks.

[Lulu4545 in reply to Chamisa]

Hi Chamisa,

Thanks for answering.

I didn't have the cough at the beginning and don't always have it. it feels like a dust allergy, jsut like when your tidying a dusty place and moving dust that's on some bags. Just swallowing can avoid me coughing. But not being able to breath deeply is very stressful even if it's not all the time.

[ba5083]

I received this information from Fiercefighter13 a while back when discussing CDK4/6 inhibitors and the possibility of causing serious lung inflammation.

Two herbal supplements I would suggest you might want to look into are Houttunya Cordatta and Cryptolepis Sanguinolenta. They are both anti-inflammatory agents and carry no side effects when consumed as a tea.

[Lulu4545]

UPDATE

Hi to all,

Just a little update on this post. I had my last PET this morning. NOTHING in the lungs. That's a relief. Yet , on slight uptake in an existing S1 met 3,8 vs 2.3 - no growth. I'm seeing onc on 10th October. Anyone had this before ?

Love

Lu