Appt. With Chest Surgeon Monday

Friday's pet scan, I was told yesterday via telephone by my pulmonologist, showed a 2cm lesion in upper left lobe which "lit" up. Other lesions did not light up. And thats really worrying me. Does this mean the other lesions definetely aren't cancerous? My question is, if the other lesions are scar tissue or whatever, could they turn cancerous in the future?
Has anyone had other lesions that did not lit up, but later did turn cancerous?


My other question is, what can I expect at the chest surgeon's office. I am assuming this is in preparation for a biopsy which I think is what is done before any type of surgery or treatment, am I oorrect. Doesnt a biopsy have to be done to find out what kind of tumor it is?
Thank you all,
Joyce

Joyce -

My thoracic surgeon did not do a biopsy. He had seen enough of the same type of CAT Scan results I had. He sent me to an oncologist who ordered the PET Scan for me. The oncologist and thoracic surgeon both just knew that surgery was my best option after the PET Scan results. They both told me that the PET Scan was a better diagnostic tool than a biopsy.

I had the surgery but followed it with chemotherapy as a preventative measure. I have had 2 additional rounds of chemo and am now on Tarceva because my CEA keeps rising after I complete one drug regimen. Don't know yet if the Tarceva is going to work for me or not.

I hope you are a candidate for surgery as it is the only way to get rid of cancer - other treatments, i.e. chemotherapy, radiation, can shrink a tumor but not remove it.
dotdot

Dot Dot
Thank you for sharing that info with me. I just read your post and I know its been a long time, but I hope you come back and read my thank you!

I was told by the chest surgeon that he wants to operate. General anesthesia, wedge biopsy, have it checked by pathologist right there in the OR room, and then if it is cancer, which is prob. will be, take out the lobe.
This sounds very much like what you had. I didnt ask him why not a needle bioppsy. I didnt think of it. But my girlfriend who is a ultrasound person said that needles pull the cancer cells out of the tumor and spread them, so you dont want thaT!
He is scheduling me for another cat scan, its been two months, and then a bone scan to be certain it hasnt spread.
Im a little nervous about going into the OR not knowing what will happen when I wake up.
Also, DotDot, do you know why some people have radiation,chemo before surgery? I've read on the boards that some people do have that and I realize that in some cases it is because of the size or maybe the location, but doesnt it make some sense to try to make it smaller before you remove it? I also have two small patch densities in the same lobe which did not light up, so I guess its best the entire lobe comes out because I think they could turn to cancer too. The doc explained them as something like the brown aging spots you get on your hands as you age.
Thanks Dotdot for any info you can give me.
My brain feels like it is tied in nautical knots!
When your told you have it, there is so much you dont know and so little time to find out it is almost overwhelming.

Joyce from Upstate NY

Joyce - My oncologist and surgeon both told me that some doctors prefer to do radiation and chemotherapy before surgery but they elected not to. Don't know why. It seems to me that after chemotherapy and radiation there would need to be some recovery time before the surgery. I wanted that tumor out of my body ASAP.

Again, best wishes to you and keep us informed.

dotdot

Hiya Dot,
Could you tell what that CEA is all about? I havent had any bloodwork at all yet.
And, I am wondering, after the operation, do you feel like you are missing a lobe. I mean is it more difficult to breath, or is pretty much the same?
Thanks so much,
Joyce from Upstate NY

CEA is the term for carcinoembryonic antigen which is present in everyone at birth. Normal ranges (found in bloodwork) are from 0-3. It is considered to be a tumor marker for colon cancer and lung cancer. Some doctors will tell you the number is not important but insist on having the test run to see where your level is. I know about it because I lost my twin sister to lung cancer in 1996 and she kept me informed of her CEA level.

My oncologist never wanted to tell me my number but I made him. We even got mad at one another at one time over it. But, after 4 PetScans with no areas that lit up, my CEA kept rising (at one point to 32) and he now says CEA is certainly an indicator for me. My last PetScan showed mets to a lymph node which I am sure has been there over the last year and the last 4 PetScans but because my blood sugar was in the 140-160 range there was poor resolution on the films. Before my last PetScan I went to the hospital and had a finger stick for blood sugar and was given 4 units of insulin which lowered my blood sugar enough to help with the resolution thus the finding of the lymph node area.

One chemo regimen I was on got my CEA from 32 to 6 but I have taken all of it I can. It was an older chemo and left me with neuropathy, fingernails that were coming off the nail bed, and bone ache. It was rough.

The CEA is just an indicator of several types of cancer and I think we need to know everything when we are fighting this disease. You can do a google.com search for "CEA" and learn alot about it.Hope this helps....dotdot