Lung Nodule vs Lung Cancer????

Updated on November 27, 2012
K.C. asks from Boise, ID
9 answers

Hi ladies, so I posted a few days ago asking about COPD. My mom went to doctor on Saturday after thanksgiving, and found out she had pneumonia and early start of COPD. She was told by doctor that if she continued to smoke,(she had for almost 30 years at this point) that she would be on oxygen soon and for rest of life, however if she stopped she had good chance it would progress slowly. So she starts on meds for pneumonia and she got lots of the side effects. like super fast heart beat, swelling of the face, not bad but definite swelling, rash on thumb, bad tummy ache. So yesterday she makes call to doctor office & they get her changed to different prescription. I, went out and took her to store, got her patch, she agreed this is it on smoking. Last night my sister calls saying my mom is heading to hospital, since its after hours so they have to go to ER, due tto her lungs hurt real bad. So, they do blood work, get iv and fluids going, and put dye in her iv and did CT scan to look for blood clot. Well no blod clots, heart looks good, but they found very small 1cm nodules in her lungs, not one but some scattered around. He said since she has strong history of smoking this could be early lung cancer. Or it could be from her getting sick before and this crystlizing kinda and just settled into her lungs. She got referred to a doctor and has to go back in 3 months for another CT scan with dye, to check if there has been any change, if so he said its Cancer. So, now we are all completely freaked out! My mom is in a state of shock, completely stressed out, scared, and just shocked I think. So my question is, Has any of you gone through this where they found Lung Nodules and it turned out to be nothing? I looked up and basically she has a 50/50 shot of cancer kinda like what doctor said. So scared for her right now. If it did turn out to be lung cancer, what is she looking at for treatment and making it through it? Any info would be great. I am heading back to her house soon to meet with my sisters just to be with my mom today to give support.

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.F.

answers from Dallas on

I am so sorry. I know this was not something you bargained for so soon after the COPD diagnosis. I don't have experience with the nodules. I did lose my dad to lung cancer, but he had a different kind. Her prognosis depends on what those nodules are and it's painful waiting. Support her with good nutrition and an emotional outlet.

You can try to find an online support group at http://www.mdjunction.com/.

More Answers

M.P.

answers from Minneapolis on

Not to panic yet. Lung Nodules are fairly common. They can be dust that was trapped, something like the onset of Histoplasmosis that was capsulized in calcium to stop the spread. The lungs are a important to a body that they have a very strong defense. If something gets in there the body throws a shell of calcium on it to protect the lungs. I have 2 nodules in my lungs. Been there since I was 20. I was told they were just calcium deposits and wont hurt me.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.B.

answers from Redding on

I'm really sorry you're going through this with your mother.

Listen, the very worst thing you can possibly do right now is think the worst.
You will hear horror stories, you will find things on the internet that will scare you to death. Those things aren't productive.

You need to support your mom right now in positive ways. Her immediate battle is getting over her pneumonia and not smoking. Being stressed out of her mind will make it even harder for her to quit. If she convinces herself she's going to be dead in six months, then why the hell put herself through the torture of not smoking?

People who have never smoked can have scarring due to chronic asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Nodules do not equal cancer. I understand you being so very concerned, but you're looking into treatments and survival rates for cancer because "what if?". Well, what IF it ISN'T cancer and you've spent all that energy on something for nothing?

You need to being throwing positive thoughts and energy out into the universe for your mom right now.

She's got pneumonia. She doesn't feel well. Get her some frozen juice bars, make her a pot of homemade soup. I like "smoking" licorice. I get whips in different flavors, bite the tips off, and puff away on them. It might sound silly, but it's worth a try.

I, myself, am recovering from complications of pneumonia. It's been rough. I lost 14 pounds and I did not have 14 pounds to lose. Your mom needs to be sleeping, eating whatever is comforting to her and she can handle, and doing nothing but letting her body heal itself. That's it. That's all. There is no room for worry in that equation. You need to help her out with that.

She doesn't need to worry about the house, the laundry, cooking. She doesn't need to worry about you or your sisters or the what if's. She needs to be comfy, maybe drift off watching a funny movie. She needs sleep. She needs positive energy around her.

I'll keep her and your family in my thoughts.

Best wishes.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

P.K.

answers from New York on

I had a nodule on my lung and went for scans every three months. It remained there for quite a while. I knew with the last scan it it was still there I would need a biopsy. The doc came out with a smile on his face, it was just about gone. Another scan showed it was completely gone. We feel it was a pocket of infection from a previous central line infection. Try to catch your breath, it might just. E infection especially with what is going on.

1 mom found this helpful

N.G.

answers from Dallas on

Take a breath and relax. I know that's pretty impossible right now, facing this kind of diagnosis for your mother. In 2008, my little brother, then 16, was diagnosed with bone cancer, primary tumor was in his knee. The prognosis was good unless it had spread to his lungs. If it had spread, then his chance of survival was more like 20%, not good. So after PET scans and such, it was found that he had a nodule on his lungs. My family was positively devastated.

He had to go through ten weeks of intensive chemotherapy before surgery and before they could truly assess the nodules in his lungs. After the grueling ten weeks was over, they did another PET scan, and the nodule was still there, completely unchanged, whereas the primary knee tumor had completely died.

The oncologist explained to us that the lung 'nodule' was not cancer at all, because if it had been cancer, it would have responded in kind to the chemo (like the primary tumor). My brother receives regular scans now that he is in remission (cancer free over three years now yay!), and the lung nodule remains unchanged.

The doctors told us that people can get scar tissue on their lungs from respiratory illnesses like asthma, pneumonia, etc. People can inhale foreign particles that embed themselves into the lining of the lungs. Smokers can develop scar tissue, etc., so it's not uncommon for there to be something on the lungs that shouldn't necessarily be there.

All of this to say, you don't have any answers yet, so don't hang your hat on the worst case scenario. After all, it could be absolutely nothing, and then you would have wasted all of this energy on such tragic thinking.

I don't know if you are a christian, but the power of prayer and positive thinking works miracles. I will never forget the woman who prayed with me after we learned of my brother's lung nodule. She told me, "Don't worry, it was just a mistake on the scan. There's no nodule." She absolutely believed that, and prayed on that. It was inspiring, even if I couldn't truly believe it myself at the time.

My deepest thoughts & prayers to you and your family!

1 mom found this helpful

R.A.

answers from Boston on

A long nodule means that their is something spotted on the lungs. It could very well be nothing to worry about.

My mother has a few on her lungs due to second hand exposure from her father . He smoked four packs a day for 55 years. She gets them checked on periodically. They aren't cancerous.

Your mother's best bet is to stop smoking NOW. The good news is that she is getting the right treatment and the doctors will follow up with her. Whatever her diagnosis is, if they have detected it early on, her chances are very good.

Hope for the best!

S.A.

answers from Chicago on

My cousin died of lung disease at the age of 38. Five years prior to her death, she was diagnosed with "nodules" on her lungs. The doctors weren't sure what caused them. My cousin thought they were fungus from the soil that she was gardening in every day. In Jan of 2011, she came down with pneumonia and went to the ER. They admitted her and did testing. They found she had H1n1. She became gravely ill and was admitted to the ICU and put on a ventilator. She never came off. After several months, she was transferred to a larger hospital's ICU where she stayed for five more months until she died. In the last month of her life, the doctors determined she actually had Pulmonary Fibrosis. We think these nodules were actually the start of PF. If she had known, she could have had a transplant years before she got so sick.

So, if this turns out to not be lung cancer, it could be PF. It does not respond well to treatment. The only cure is a transplant.

Prayers for your mom, and for you too!

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

I'm so sorry about your Mom's health issues.
I'm hesitant to say anything because I've known a few co-workers (heavy smokers, good friends, very sweet and fun people) and family members who were fine (just passed annual physicals) when they came down with pneumonia, discovered the cancer and passed away within 3 months.
It was that fast.
And it was agonizing to lose them.
I guess the only thing to hold onto is that every individual, their genetics, their situation, their recuperative powers, their health - is very different - so what happens to some people might not happen to others.
Sometimes pneumonia is just pneumonia, and people can recover from it.
I hope she gets well soon.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.C.

answers from Minneapolis on

Can they do a PET scan? This type of scan can give more information. My father died of lung cancer and I know that after his CT scan they did a PET scan which is what determined the diagnosis. It's true that the nodules may be in response to her fighting off the pneumonia or they may have been there for many years. Some people just have nodules. However, lung cancer is a very deadly form of cancer so if it is cancerous, the sooner they can get that information the better. I would push the doctor a bit about pushing up the next CT scan or getting a PET scan for further info. Also, does she have any previous CT scans or x-rays for comparison sake?

I am so sorry for all that you and your mother and family are going through. The not knowing what is going on is absolutely agonizing. If it did turn out to be cancer, the treatment is totally dependent on the stage, location, general health of patient, etc. so it's really hard to know what would be involved until you knew more.

You are in my thoughts and I am hoping for a quick recovery from the pneumonia followed by many years of good health for your mom!

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions