Bad ct scan

[Likes]

Good morning Ladies,

Does anyone have any information on pleural fluid in the lung? I’m currently on first line of RX for MBC in lung with faslodex. Scans are showing small pleural fluid and nodules, etc. I’m so scared!

Any thoughts? Thanks, Susie

[NPmary]

The good news about lung nodules in the lung is that they are sometimes caused by inflammation and can decrease or go away also docs don't worry much about them til they are 1 cm or more in size. The good news about your pleural effusion is that it is small. The effusion can be caused by things other than cancer. Your doc will want to know if you have symptoms related to your lungs at all. She might want to change your treatment, maybe do genomic testing with a blood test or just watch for a bit. Hopefully you will see your doc soon.I am sorry your facing this. I do know what it's like, it Sucks.

[Likes in reply to NPmary]

Hi

I had molecular blood work done and don’t know the results. They are not back yet. Dr is awaiting those results. I’m so scared I did not even ask what she would do.

Thanks for helping me , Susie

[awesome4ever]

Hi Susie. Scan times can be a worrying time. It sounds like that you have had access to your report but as yet haven't talked with your oncologist? What I will tell you is that it is normal to have a small amount of fluid between the layers of the pleura. It is required to keep the tissues moist and helps the lungs breathe without any friction. It is also common to have visible nodules in the lung. They generally are scar tissue from past lung infections and are benign. The need to worry comes when they start to grow fast or change appearance quickly. That may indicate that the nodules are cancerous. However also remember that we has known MBC patients the radiologists always look at our scans with that in the back of their minds...so basically if it is present they report it.

My advice to you is to wait and talk with your oncologist. The report words as you state them are not a real cause of concern. However only your oncologist and team have access to your previous scans to compare and advise. Being scared is normal but I always go into scans with the thought process of not worrying unless there is a real reason. Stress is something that is bad for us. Please do let us know after you talk with your oncologist and take a deep breath.....if you can do that easily and without pain it's a great sign. Take care.

[Likes in reply to awesome4ever]

Thanks for your kind words

[purplelikep]

I had pleural effusion but it was caused by fluid retention while on treatment, specifically extended use of docetaxol. Once we stopped to docetaxol, my body eventually started flushing the fluid but it hung on in my lung lining so I did require a thoracentesis. The fluid wasn't cancerous in my case.

[Likes in reply to purplelikep]

Thank you for replying. Susie

[Beryl71]

I had that when I was diagnosed four years ago and the treatment sorted it for me, letrozole and palbociclib. I changed treatment last year when there was an enlarged mammary lymph node and now have fulvestrant and palbociclib. The lymph node has decreased from 21 mm to 9 mm in a few months. So for me the treatment addressed the problem. Talk it through with your oncologist, I'm sure they will be trying to match the treatment to your needs. Good luck.

[Likes in reply to Beryl71]

Thanks for replying! Susie

[Mcangel11]

I had pleural fluid and after ibrance and exemethisine it went away.. I couldnt stay on ibrance I didn't tolerate.. spent 4 years on just exemethisine and NED ...I recently had to change to falodex cause my tumor markers are rising but no tumor actually seen on cat scan or pet..I hope this falodex works!!FAITH OVER FEAR

[Likes]

Thank you!

[Alnmouth]

I had pleural fluid in my lung 6 years ago, it was drained off, had a chest tube. Cancerous nodule was removed No further cancer since. My primary breast cancer was 26 years ago. I am on Ibrance and letrezole.

[Likes in reply to Alnmouth]

Wow that’s fantastic! I’m hoping for a miracle. I had a chest tube and surgery to remove a part of my tumor in lung and it came back MBC. That’s when I began Faslodex 3 years ago.

It’s a journey and I am scared.🙏

God bless you for replying back to me. Susie

[Phillipians4and6]

Hi.

I had pleural effusion and a few nodules in November of 2019 that was a reoccurrence from my initial cancer (2009). I had a pleuraldesis and I’ve been on ibrance and faslodex since December 2019. Everything is going well. Praise God. I actually have scans Monday. I get them every 6 months. I pray that all goes well for both of us. Keep us posted. Like others have mentioned pleural effusion can come from other things.

[Likes in reply to Phillipians4and6]

Good to know and thanks Susie