URGENT. Any radiologists/oncology people here?

[Dichotomouse]

Sorry. Posting here for traffic.

My husband has had a CT which which has found a 'mass like consolidation 4.5 x 3.5 x 4.2cms' in the lower lobe of his left lung, adjacent to the diaphragm.

Is this definitely cancer? We are on the two week wait but I am absolutely beside myself. He's only 42 and we have a 2.5 year old DS and an almost 6 year old DD.

I thought we'd grow old together.

I know you're worried but jeez, does your husband know you're putting his private medical information, including the name of the consultant, on the internet?
You might want to get that report image removed at least.

Has he had his bloods taken?

I'm not an oncologist or radiotherapist, however I'm recovering from a different cancer.
Please, please listen to the advice not to Google, I know how easy it is to panic and want all the information you can get. Dr Google is NOT your friend.
Remember every body is different and everybody is different.
Sending hugs to you and your family.

I had very aggressive breast cancer 4 yrs ago when my son was 9 months old. I cannot say this strongly enough, stay off google! It does not help.

when I was waiting to find out if mine had spread a friend whose husband had stage 4 said to me “the waiting is awful but you just have to get through it” and sadly that is the case.

Best of luck, the odds are that it’s nothing x

Please don't google. Also it's not helpful to ask on somewhere like this because you really don't know who is posting. There's so much incorrect medical information bandied around on Mumsnet and also people trying to diagnose someone. I understand why you asked, but no one here can tell you what the consolidation is.

Even though the waiting must be awful, that's what you have to do now and then the professionals will be able to give you a clearer picture of what might be going on and what investigations will be needed, followed by a treatment plan.

The good thing is that the mass has been identified on the X-ray at a routine check-up and now it can be investigated properly.

It's not the name of his consultant. It was a private scan through a clinic that's completely separate to any follow on care, which will be via the NHS.

And no one knows who my DH is on here so not sure what your point is on that one.

If I've posted it then you'll just have to assume that it's something that is okay to be shared.

@Dichotomouse critical care/anaesthetic doc here and I second @Sirprised

even a radiologist or oncologist would not be able to give you a definitive answer without looking at the images and assessing your partner. and maybe not even then depending on symptoms and history. I am afraid you just have to wait.

consolidation refers to the build up of fluid in the lung but that can happen as a result of a mass. so hard to tell without the images and assessing. even if it is cancer, there are good treatment options now so you can still have a good outcome.

have my fingers crossed for you.

But you don't know what is happening, and why you need to speak to your consultant, not randoms on the internet. And until you have confirmation it's cancer or anything else, nothing is happening, it's all conjecture on your part.

(Am currently dealing with grade 3 breast cancer and subsequent eight cycles chemo, and believe me, staying off google and the internet is the best thing until your consultants/radiologists discuss what's what with you - they know what's going on, not any of us.)

Also, in my experience, they call ASAP if it's something sinister. Also, cancer, even stage 4 isn't the death sentence it once was. Sorry OP, you need to get a grip on yourself. You need to calm down and stop panicking.

You're right. I've woken with a fresh perspective today. Also a lot of the stats online are based on much older people with cancer anyway.

I have closed all my (many ha) Google tabs and will do my best to live in the moment.

Thank you so much to everyone for your words of encouragement and support, and for those that shared their own stories and experiences. I feel much less alone.

How are things ?
Did you get answers?

Thanks for checking in.

We had an appointment with the Respiratory clinic at our local hospital. They are leaning strongly towards it being infection/inflammation but can't rule out cancer 100%. He's been prescribed antibiotics today and they wanted to do a CT scan to see if it's changed at all in a few weeks time. The Dr did say that if it won't have changed much by the next scan regardless of if it's cancer or infection so my DH pushed for a PET scan instead as it will give us different information.

Still in limbo but at least we had some sort of good news!

I have a friend who had a similar, frightening experience a couple of years back. Turned out it was an early case of Covid. I guess there might be a lot more consolidations found on routine scans in the near future. Good luck, OP.

Glad your kinda getting somewhere

I had a ct scan late Oct 2023

Abnormalities
Including left lobe of liver :(

Had private liver mri the other day - just awaiting results

Have NHS liver mri in a bit :(

Liver cancer blood test came back ok

The waiting is hard

Well rather worryingly he had a CT scan back in 2020 for kidney stones which caught the bottom halves of his lungs and in the letter we received from the hospital to summarise our initial appointment, apparently there was some kind of airway abnormality at that time which was not communicated to us. So now I'm back to thinking the worst again.

I'm so sorry that you're going through it too. There are many things it could be but you can't help going to the worst case scenario can you.

My DH's case isn't helped by the fact that the MacMillan nurse assigned to us has a real attitude problem and doesn't like being asked questions as all 🙄. I asked for clarification on a paragraph from the letter from the hospital and she was so evasive and borderline rude.

I hope your results point to something minor and benign. Keep me updated. Feel free to PM me even if it's just to vent. Always happy to lend an ear (or eyes ha).

Is that Macmillan nurse in person?

If so - try on the phone

Ive spoken to some really lovely Macmillan staff on the phone - includung nurses that have helped me with medical jargon

It was on the phone. I spoke to a different one yesterday who was lovely and could actually answer my questions 😁.

How are you today? Any news on your scan results yet?

Was @ hospital today for another colonoscopy - more bowel polyps removed

[ awaiting biopsy results ]