My Father, Please Help - Cancer: Lung Message Board

alexandraB · 11-29-2004, 10:16 AM

Hello,

Some of you may know me from the cervical cancer board as I am myself dealing with cervical dysplasia. I am posting for my father this time. In september, he almost choked on a piece of steak and a waiter in a restaurant had to do the heimlich maneuver. After that his rib area started hurting, so he went to see a doc in october to see if maybe he had a broken rib. the doc did chest-xrays as a part of many tests, and he was told everything was fine. But this past Friday, he received a letter saying he should come back for more tests because the x-ray had reveiled a "small growth in the tube in one of the lungs, other lung looked clear" (this is how he explained it to me when we spoke, he didnt have the letter in front of him).

I am so frightened this is lung cancer, and i am just trying to get any info because i am so new to this and dont know much. i have done some research online, but i have a couple of questions. I am frightened because many of the posts I have read have said that when a patient was first diagnosed, it was already at a late stage. My father has no symptoms, except he has lost a little weight in the past couple years, but very little. No cough, no wheezing at all. Good health. He is 70. But he has been smoking for many years. I am just confused, is it possible to have no symptoms and have a late stage of lung cancer without even knowing it? Also, is it possible to get benign growths in the lungs, like one can on the ovaries etc? is this common?

Any info is greatly appreciated. My father is like a best friend and I am just so frightened. Thank you!!

SHAYSER · 11-29-2004, 11:12 AM

Hi , I really don't know a whole bunch but yes it is very possible to have small growths that are benign, I am only 26 and i had a small nodule in my right upper lung they had me do a repeat ct scan 3 months later , it still has'nt grown they said it is just a benign nodule , of course i have to go every 6 months for check ups just to be on safe side (nothing is 100%) ya know but like you said they said it was a small growth if it is anything it is probally in early stages and can be caught because something that small would not give symptoms therefor if it was anything (which it probally is'nt) it is probally in early stages and can be caught, think positive trust me all i did for 3 months when i was waiting was cry and worry and it is'nt worth it but i would demand a ct scan, and don't let these storys on the lung cancer board scare you, even though it is great that people vent on here sometimes you can read someone else story and get even more worried....

alexandraB · 11-29-2004, 06:09 PM

Dear Shayser, thanks for your reply! I am happy to hear your nodule was benign! Do you or does anyone know, how small of a nodule can be detected by x-ray? since i know Scans are more precise than xrays (my father will be going for a scan and other tests), i am worried that since my father's xray alone picked up a growth, that it is pretty large....? i was under the impression that xrays cannot pick up small nodules. thanks again, any info is much appreciated!

SOCA · 11-29-2004, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexandraB

Dear Shayser, thanks for your reply! I am happy to hear your nodule was benign! Do you or does anyone know, how small of a nodule can be detected by x-ray? since i know Scans are more precise than xrays (my father will be going for a scan and other tests), i am worried that since my father's xray alone picked up a growth, that it is pretty large....? i was under the impression that xrays cannot pick up small nodules. thanks again, any info is much appreciated!

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It's not just x-rays. CT scans can also miss small lung nodules. Additionally, one radiologist may not spot a small lung nodule(s) on a CT scan while another radiologist may catch it. This happened to my wife.

shadowrose40 · 11-30-2004, 07:50 AM

HI

Yes, it's possible to have benign things show up on x-ray. Very possible. It's also possible that they see 'shadows' on x-rays, that are in fact infiltrates or scarring from past illness.

You said it was on one of the tubes, I'm assuming you mean bronchial airways. Only a CT or bronscopy will give you folks a true answer.

Cancer is insidious. It can have little symptoms until it is too late. Unfortunately. But, small nodules can be picked up on x-rays, and be missed on other x-rays. It has a lot to do with the quality of the x-ray, the inspiration effort of the patient- too many varables.

Please keep us posted. We'll help all we can!

Like you, I've done the dysplalsia route, and the cancer in the cervix. That was several years ago. The growth was removed, and I'm fine now (6 years later) so hopefully your dysplasia is under control .

Take care