How Did You Find Out?

Greetings. Not quite a member of this club yet, but the day may be approaching. I'm just wondering if there's anyone here who's first indication of lung cancer was a swollen lymph node picked up on a routine x-ray.

My story -- Just got a new government job, and for the first time in nearly two years, my wife and I have health benefits. So, we both go in for complete physicals. I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2000, and primarily wanted to get back on the medication. I've also noticed that I've been getting very winded with minor exertion (getting worse over the last couple months) and I have pitting edema in my lower legs. I have also been experiencing a dry cough (some clear sputum, but not much), and the occasional feeling like someone was tickling me with a feather deep down in my left lung. BP was high, so I'm on meds for that. Saw my doctor for a follow up, and she decides to do a chest x-ray followed by one more blood test -- a liver panel. She takes a quick look at the x-ray and says it's fine.

Several days later, I call back to get the results of the liver panel. She says that test was just fine, but the radiologist saw something on the chest x-ray that she previously had said was "just fine." She said it was "adenopathy" below my left collarbone. Wouldn't get much more detailed than that. When I suggested a second x-ray, she said that instead I should get a chest CAT-scan as soon as possible.

So, the x-ray obviously did not show a tumor (at least, she said nothing about that) but did show a swollen lymph node in my chest. I haven't been sick (other than the Parkinson's and the "getting winded" and "tickling" in my chest I wrote about) so I don't think it could be an infection. I don't smoke cigarettes, but I do enjoy an occasional cigar -- not nearly as much as a few years ago when I had several each day, however. I have a slight, dull ache to the left side of my breast bone. I also now notice my cuticles are deep purple (they weren't before) and my lips take on a bluish tinge from time to time. (When I was in for the physical, the nurse said my blood sats were at 96. She kinda shook her head -- like I had done something wrong -- and said they SHOULD be at 100.)

So, anyone here with lung cancer, was a swollen lymph node your first clue?

My CT is Wednesday the 1st of June.

Thanks!

Bill

Bill -

Sorry to hear about the lymph gland but glad to hear that you now have insurance.

My lung cancer was discovered by X-Ray, but it was clearly visible. That led to a Cat Scan which only confirmed the diagnosis. I then had a Pet Scan which showed the tumor to be in only one lobe of my lung (surgeon found it in another lobe as well). Because of my pulmonary function test restuls (poor) I only had one lobe removed and had a wedge cut out of the upper lobe. That has caused the cancer to spread.

What I think is important for you is that is appears to be early (if it is indeed anything). Many times with adenocarcinoma it is too late to do anything when it is discovered.

Your sats (oxygen in your blood) at 96 is not bad at all. 100 is perfect. Mine drops to the low 80's upon exertion sometimes even with my oxygen. I bought my own pulse oximeter so I could take my sat level. My family all use it and I have never seen 100 - I have seen upper 90's on them. I don't think 96 is bad at all.

Hope at least some of this information is helpful to you. Best of luck and keep us informed of your test results.

dotdot

Hi Bill,
Today I received a call from my pulmonologist that after a PET scan last Friday, the results showed a lesion in my lung "lit" up
This probably means it is cancerous and I have an appointment with a chest surgeon next Monday.
This is all new to me, and I guess I am a wee bit further along the road than you right now.
How this occurred is:
Had pneumonia in Jan.
Had two chest xrays no mention of anything showing up other than the pneumonia.
Then a cat scan.
That's where a 2cm lesion in upper left lobe was picked up.
My GP made an appointment with a pulmonologist whom I saw in March.
He did another cat scan, (as it was two months since the last one) and on Good Friday he told me there was no change at all...that was a good sign....but still doewsnt meant you don't have cancer. He suggested another cat scan in 3 months!
After Easter and family birthday parties, I felt uneasy with "waiting" and wanted a second opinion.
The second pulmonologist agreed with the first one.
After two weeks, I was full of anxiety thinking that I would have to return every three months for I don't know how long, waiting to see if this lesion grows, and maybe it will and become metastasized!
So, last week, back to the pulmonologist I go, under my own steam and tell him I don't want to wait isnt there something else he can do. (Told him I just simply wasn't the ostrich type!) and also said why isn't there something like a pap smear for lung cancer?(chuckle)
So, after discussing it, he sent me for a Pet Scan which I have read is about 90% accurate.
Amd it looks like its bad news. I have other smaller lesions in my lung which did not light up with the radionuclear meds they use which means, hopefully, they are not cancerous and the doc said might just be from former infections.
Don't worry Bill, but do be diligent. And get all the proper testing you need to get the ball rolling if it is necessary.
Good luck.
Joyce

I have recently been diagnosed with Stage IV NSCLC. My first "symptom" was pretty innocuous - I was approximately 5 months pregnant with my first child when I sneezed really hard and it felt like I pulled a muscle in my left rib cage. Of course, being pregnant at the time, I knew that I could not get an x-ray or take any meds., so I did not do anything about it. Plus, the soreness went away after a few days. For the next year, I would occasionally feel that "pulled muscle" - like if I slept on that side for too long at night, or if I was doing a lot of yard work - but it was never a sharp, jabbing pain and it would always subside within a couple of days. This past April, I was going to start running again to loose some of this baby fat and my mother prompted me to go to the doctor to make sure that I did not fracture my rib before I started all that heavy breathing with running. To my surprise, the x-ray revealed a large mass on my left 6th rib - 5 cm. by 3 cm.! Of course, that prompted other tests and they found a tumor in my left lung (primary site), 4 mets on my spine and 1 met in my brain. I have been on Tarceva since 5/19/05 and just had my "re-staging" vist on 7/1/05 - the doctor said that my lung tumor has shrunk approximately 10% - YEAH! I now encourage anyone I meet to go to the doctor for the slightest pain - I wish I had done so earlier! Take care ....