Hello. My father was just diagnosed by a catscan. These were the findings, "Findings are compatible with right lower lobe lung carcinoma with right hilar and mediastinal moderate lymphadenopathy and 1, and perhaps additional, satellite lesions." He has had a chest xray and this ct scan. He hasn't been told any other diagnosis yet. He is being sent to see a Thoracic Surgeon tomorrow. He is 55 years old and has been smoking about 40 or so years. Can you please tell me why he would be sent to a Thoracic Surgeon and not an oncologist first? His MD sent him to a pulmonary specialist who is the one sending him to the Thoracic Surgeon. My other question is don't they need to do a biopsy to tell the type of lung cancer and the stage?? Also, I have been looking up what these findings mean, any help with this would be greatly appreciated. What other tests should he have done? Brain scan, etc? Any help or suggestions or thoughts are greatly appreciated! Thank you.

On cologisist comes in after surgery....he takes care of the chemo and radiation, if needed. yes a biopsy should be done. My MIL just went thru surgery, but first she had a needle biopsy, no cutting....and they saw her tumor and sized it, although it was larger than they thought. she had her upper left lobe removed and 11 lymph nodes. the tumor was 6.5 cm, which is larger than your fist....but her nodes came back clear.....she is doing well after surgery, but has a long way to go.........they will stage it after surgery. I would also stay on top of doctors....if you're not satisfied, go to another. MIL got into surgery 2 weeks after they found it...........hers showed up on xray and then they did a bone scan, it wasn't in her bones either.........so don't get discouraged............it's not always doom and gloom....just a long recovery...........

On cologisist comes in after surgery....he takes care of the chemo and radiation, if needed. yes a biopsy should be done. My MIL just went thru surgery, but first she had a needle biopsy, no cutting....and they saw her tumor and sized it, although it was larger than they thought. she had her upper left lobe removed and 11 lymph nodes. the tumor was 6.5 cm, which is larger than your fist....but her nodes came back clear.....she is doing well after surgery, but has a long way to go.........they will stage it after surgery. I would also stay on top of doctors....if you're not satisfied, go to another. MIL got into surgery 2 weeks after they found it...........hers showed up on xray and then they did a bone scan, it wasn't in her bones either.........so don't get discouraged............it's not always doom and gloom....just a long recovery...........

When My husbad was diag with lc through an x ray and then CT scan.the same day they saw a 10 cm mass. A broncospony was done and he had NSCL squamious LC The pulomanary doc referred us to a surgeon and we had a consult. The surgeon was less then optimistic.I told my husband we had to go to a ONC to set everything up for us and guide us. He then got a refferal from our GP for the ONC and we saw hm. he looked at the x rays and called a surgeon at Moffitt a cancer only hosipital here in FL. We saw the head surgeon and even though my husbands cancer was 10 cm he said no problem. he did the operation and got it all. We then opted for Chemo as a safe guard. that was in 2005 and so far so good. hubby goes every three months for scans and will do so until the third year. then he will go every 6 months for the remander two years and then once a year. our ONC arranged everything and all the doctors were in the loop. My prayers are with you

Thanks so much for your replies. Dad is going to get a PET scan on Monday and a bronchoscopy (I Think this is what he is getting because he said they are going in through his nose) on Tuesday. We will then know what the next steps are. Why would a bronchoscopy be done instead of a biopsy? Thank you for all of your help.

They can normally take a biopsy with the brochoscope...good luck:)