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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

...to be worried? Lung shadow and referral to oncology

81 replies

hoolydooly · 19/01/2020 14:17

Hi folks,

Trying not to panic.

My dad is 74 and had a CT scan of the abdomen.
A lung shadow was picked up incidentally.
He has been referred to oncology.

He is a non-smoker and has no lung symptoms.

How worried should I be?
Anyone had a lung shadow that was nothing?

Is the referral to oncology a bad sign or just standard practice?

Thank you.

OP posts:
zara020 · 20/01/2020 15:49

Sorry just seen you've already replied about the biopsy. I can speak for other trusts , but occasionally patients whose nodules arnt amenable to biopsy are sent for review by oncology who may suggest Radiotherapy if he has symptoms or monitoring if he doesn't . Have you been assigned a lung specialist nurse as a key worker?

ForeverBaffled · 20/01/2020 15:53

Hi OP,

Identical situation with my elderly (ex-smoker) dad this year. We were all terrified. Turned out to be a patch of infection (he had no symptoms) and cleared up after a week on antibiotics.

It really could be something totally benign. I know how scary it is though. Thinking of you.

Original poster
hoolydooly · 20/01/2020 15:57

Zara. He has not been diagnosed with anything yet! Thus has just been found incidentally and he was asked if he'd recently had a chest infection so it's obviously not clear cut.

OP posts:
Original poster
hoolydooly · 20/01/2020 15:57

Thanks forever baffled. That really helps.

OP posts:
ComeOnGordon · 20/01/2020 15:58

You are right that whole the majority of lung cancer patients have smoked you have to remember that the amount of passive smoking people did up until very recently was a lot. In pubs and restaurants, buses, at work. So yes he’s not smoked himself but he’ll have passive smoked for a lot of his life.

I work with lung cancer patients. I agree with the PP - the usual plan is to get a biopsy of the tissue where possible or to refer for a pet ct.

I understand it’s a worrying time but he’s in the right place being seen by oncology and should hopefully have a diagnosis one way or the other within the next few weeks

Original poster
hoolydooly · 20/01/2020 16:04

@ForeverBaffled was he also referred to oncology?

OP posts:
ForeverBaffled · 20/01/2020 16:08

He was indeed referred to oncology who examined his scan in detail. The fact they asked if your dad had an infection recently implies it may well look similar to a patch of left over infection as it was with my dad. My dad didn’t recall any chest infection so was a big surprise.

Original poster
hoolydooly · 20/01/2020 16:10

@foreverbaffled that's the best thing I have read all day. Thanks for taking 5he time to reply.

OP posts:
Thinkle · 20/01/2020 16:16

Hey, i am going through something similar at the moment. In my case it’s me and they picked something up incidentally when scanning for something else. There wasn’t great communication From the hospital for me and my GP called me about it assuming I knew... I didn’t and got such a shock. I need to go back after three months to see if it’s grown, but I lacked context and got very upset.

I ended up seeing a private consultant who also worked at the hospital in her NHS capacity (so had access to scan and notes) just to understand what it meant. She was very helpful and the thing she majored on in my history was smoking or in my case not. She was very reassuring. The stats on picking up random things in lungs from CT scans are crazy. It’s very common.
I’m now waiting for my follow up scan... It’s not that I don’t think in no about it now but the consultation really helped.
I hope everything works out for your family

Original poster
hoolydooly · 20/01/2020 16:23

@thinkle were you also referred to oncology?
Thanks for sharing your story. Glad the private consultsng was able to put your mind at rest.

OP posts:
Liverbird77 · 20/01/2020 17:59

@hooleydooley sorry, I just saw your question. Yes, she was referred to oncology.

Original poster
hoolydooly · 20/01/2020 18:17

@Liverbird Thank you. Sorry - bit obsessed with that part of it!

OP posts:
Whatishappening9876 · 20/01/2020 19:56

Hi, I work in a hospital and if something is found on a scan that could potentially be cancerous the person is referred to oncology as they would be the person to diagnose, but they would also be the person to rule it out. Being referred to them is standard so they can investigate it, so it doesnt mean he has cancer. Best of luck to you all x

Original poster
hoolydooly · 20/01/2020 20:08

Thank you @hoolydooly

OP posts:
Original poster
hoolydooly · 20/01/2020 20:09

That was meant to say Whatishappening9876!

OP posts:
Sickandscared · 21/01/2020 01:13

Hi OP,

Please stop assuming they know something you don't because he has been referred to oncology.

In my case my chest x-ray shadow did turn out to be something sinister but I can tell you I was in oncology BEFORE they knew. And they told me over and over it could well be nothing.

He hasn't had a biopsy yet. They don't know what it is. It is statistically likely to be nothing. I know it's hard but try not to worry.

What I will say is that when it's lung cancer they move super fast. So it's good that he's already under oncology.

I hope you get good news soon

LuluJakey1 · 21/01/2020 01:25

My mum had a chest x-ray when she was in hospital to diagnose pneumonia. She was elderly and very ill. They told me over the phone it had showed up a mass and were almost sure it was a cancer given its size and position. They were taking her for a CT scan and a specialist would look at it. When I got to the hospital she had had the scan and a consultant had looked at it and said it was nothing to worry about,

It happened 5 times during the rest of her life that it showed up on a chest x-ray. They stopped getting scans. The consultant said it was just how her lung was and was a 'bit of gristle'. It never changed or developed into anything and was nothing to do with her eventual death.

Original poster
hoolydooly · 21/01/2020 08:58

Thanks for those last couple of replies.

@Sickandscared Sorry you didn't get good news. I wish you all the best.

OP posts:
Roomba · 22/01/2020 14:55

My father was referred to Oncology after a shadow was detected. He was fairly calm but my other was absolutely panic stricken and barely slept for a week. It turned out to be a small amount of scar tissue, probably from a chest infection long ago.

Minxmumma · 22/01/2020 15:35

@hoolydooly. Please don't cling onto the word oncology. As lots of posters have said it maybe that your trust refers anything suspicious there first, especially if they aren't expecting there to be surgical intervention. Often the oncology department are best placed to request more specific scans or tests to rule out or confirm matters.

Yes it's a terrifying word, trust me from personal experience I know but until you have a definitive diagnosis you are going to leap from best to worst options every 5 minutes and make yourself unwell with the worry. And Dr Google / mumsnet etc will only make matters worse.

My dh has been referred before but his is scar tissue from childhood pneumonia, so they ignore it now.

I hope you get answers soon and they are good news.

Original poster
hoolydooly · 22/01/2020 16:07

Thank you both. he is being seen now

Terrified.

OP posts:
Bloodless · 22/01/2020 16:26

Hey OP, try not to worry. My mum has this, plus she was heavy smoker, coughing up blood & wheezing. Naturally we feared the worst thankfully it was scaring from something else. Possibly TB when she was younger or the COPD she has now. She had to see a specialist about it.

ForeverBaffled · 22/01/2020 19:19

Hope he got on okay OP x

WhenISnappedAndFarted · 22/01/2020 19:33

Hope it went well OP

Original poster
hoolydooly · 22/01/2020 20:06

Thank you. He has to have a PET scan but I am hoping it will be okay as some of the characteristics of it were reassuring.

OP posts: