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Original poster

Shadow on lung

26 replies

Dukekaboom · 10/01/2022 21:26

Hello ladies
My mum (70 years old) has had to go for a CT scan today as they have found a shadow on her lung. We have to wait two weeks for the results and are absolutely terrified that it’s the worst news. Has anyone else been through this? Will they be able to tell us anything at the next appointment from the CT scan or will they need to do further tests on the shadow first? Thank you for your help xx

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Cocolapew · 10/01/2022 21:28

My Dad had one show up from an x-ray he had a scan and lung cancer was diagnosed.
My DH had one also, his turned out to be the start of COPD.
Best wishes to your mum Flowers

Longdistance · 10/01/2022 21:31

My dm has a cancerous lesion on her lung. They tried to take a biopsy, but it was in an awkward place. She had three cyber knife treatments. The lesion hasn’t grown any bigger and is being monitored. She’s had it two years. She is prone to chest infections though.
All the best for your dm Flowers

Hohofortherobbers · 10/01/2022 21:32

Sorry, this must be such a stressful time. It could be cancer or maybe something less sinister, what are her risk factors? Is she /was she a smoker? Any recent chest infection that might be showing up as a shadow? What prompted the x Ray? Does she have new symptoms such as shortness of breath or cough?

Sideswiped · 10/01/2022 21:38

Hi, @Dukekaboom, not to minimise this, but my DDad of a similar age had an X-ray many years ago that indicated that he had contracted TB as a child.
Try not to worry (I do understand that you are concerned for your DDad), until you know for sure what you are dealing with.
I really hope it's something that is not too troubling. Thanks

LuluBlakey1 · 10/01/2022 21:38

My mum three times had chest x-rays that showed a shadow and needed CT scans. Once was after a breast cancer diagnosis and they were concerned it had spread to her lungs, the other two times where when she had a chest infection and had been admitted to hospital. Once the ward consultant was almost sure it was a cancer. All 3 times the CT scan showed nothing of any concern and the shadow was dismissed as 'probably a bit if gristle' or 'just the position she was in when the x-ray was taken'. She died of old age 15 years later.

LuluBlakey1 · 10/01/2022 21:39

Posted too soon.

Try not to worry. Shadows on lungs can be all kinds of things, some of which are not of serious or any concern. The CT should give you much more clarity.

user1471453601 · 10/01/2022 21:43

@Dukeaboom, ive been where your mum is. Unfortunately, my turned out to be lung cancer. I was diagnosed on 13/10/2009 and it was 20/12/2009 before I'd had all the tests and it was decided what treatment was appropriate. It was another month before an operation to remove the tumour and part of my lung.
On the other hand, my Mum was about 72 when a shadow on her lungs was found. It was scarring From a previous chest infection. So no treatment was needed.

So, two bits of positive news. One is that it may not be lung cancer. And even if it is, it's survivable.

Of course, it depends on the type of lung cancer if indeed it is that at all.

Good luck, I really hope it works out for you and your Mum.

Hairyfriend · 10/01/2022 21:48

Why did she need the Xray in the 1st place? Has she lost weight recently or have any risk factors? Smoking herself or a partner, high risk jobs in the past, asbestos exposures?

My husband had a shadow on a chest X-ray, but in the end, it was apparently the side view of a large blood vessel and nothing sinister.

Best of luck OP and let us know how she gets on Flowers

Original poster
Dukekaboom · 10/01/2022 21:49

Thank you all for being so very kind. I am so tearful and your kindness has made me even more emotional!
She has had covid recently. She used to be a smoker but stopped about 30 years ago. They referred her because her platelets are too high so they did some more tests and uncovered this
I am sorry for everyone else that has gone through this stressful time xx

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Siuan · 11/01/2022 11:14

I had a chest xray in 2019 because of a cough, that showed a shadow on the lung. It sounds sinister doesn't it? I was terrified.
I had a CT scan and it took ages to get the results but eventually I was told it was bronchiectasis.

Original poster
Dukekaboom · 11/01/2022 15:41

Thank you @Siuan. I am so pleased it was all ok for you in the end. It’s just so scary isn’t it, I am trying so hard to stay positive and rational but you can’t help but fear the worst. This two week wait is going to feel like a lifetime.

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PuppyFeet · 11/01/2022 15:49

I currently have regular 3 month scans due to a cancer diagnosis. They ask if I have had covid at every scan because covid apparently throws up odd things on scans including marks on the lungs.

mightbeyesmightbeno · 11/01/2022 16:00

@Dukekaboom I'm a respiratory specialist in the UK. Try not to worry too much, there can be lots of things that are "shadows" - as other above posters have suggested. The CT scan will tell much more, and they should be able to make a preliminary diagnosis after that. They may still need to do further tests - biopsies etc if it's a lump rather than a larger patch of damage, but this would be to assess if it's cancerous or benign. Take home message is to try and not worry, it might be something far less sinister x

mightbeyesmightbeno · 19/01/2022 22:08

@Dukekaboom how are you doing?

Winterlove · 19/01/2022 22:13

My mum did and it was lung cancer. They did the CT and after that they were able to confidently tell her more about it. My uncle also has shadows but nothing has really ever been diagnosed. They thought he had Covid but didn’t and whilst they ruled things out nothing was confirmed apart from possible COPD.

How are you and your mum?

Original poster
Dukekaboom · 19/01/2022 22:25

Ah thank you lovely ladies for checking in.
Sadly the results are not good. It’s lung cancer. We are just in shock and trying to process it. Even though I was scared and had feared the worst, I still couldn’t believe it when the doctor said it is lung cancer.
We don’t know yet what treatments are available as my mum needs to have more tests to find out what stage and if its spread.
I am utterly terrified that I am going to lose her. I just can’t imagine life without my beloved mum. Am so scared but trying to hold it together for her xx

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MyCatHatesPCRTests · 19/01/2022 22:32

@Dukekaboom, I’m so sorry to hear that. I have been in your position with my own DM and if I’m honest, this is the worst bit - when you know it’s cancer but not what you’re dealing with or what the plan is.

If it helps, my own DM was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer 3.5 years ago. And she is still with us, despite the type of cancer she has having a 6% survival rate 5 years after diagnosis. Some lung cancers are much more treatable than others. My DM’s isn’t curable but post initial treatment, she’s had a very good quality of life for the past 3 years.

Hohofortherobbers · 20/01/2022 07:20

Sorry to hear your update. Try to not look too far ahead right now, you're going to get a little more info every day about stage and treatments and just let yourself get your head round it bit by bit. Treatments are so much better these days, we have alternative drugs to chemo and better radiotherapy and surgical techniques. Wait for all the information, thinking of you xx

Original poster
Dukekaboom · 20/01/2022 09:12

Thanks guys. @MyCatHatesPCRTests I am so pleased to hear that about your Mum.

I am just so so scared they are going to say there’s nothing they can do and she has only months left.

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Winterlove · 20/01/2022 09:22

@Dukekaboom I’m sorry to hear of your mum’s diagnosis. Take one day at a time and try not to worry about tomorrow yet. It’s so hard but you’ll make yourself ill with worry otherwise. You need to be in a good place to support her.

MacaroniCheeseCat · 20/01/2022 21:32

@Dukekaboom, that was how we felt too. But for some people surgery is an option. It wasn’t for my mum, but against all odds she responded well to initial treatment. It won’t last forever but we have had three years with her we didn’t think we’d have at your stage. I really hope you get a treatment plan soon and there’s something that can be done.Flowers

Original poster
Dukekaboom · 23/01/2022 20:47

Thanks @MacaroniCheeseCat. I am so so pleased to hear your mum is responding well to the initial treatment and that’s amazing you have had this time with her.
I just feel in a fog of grief and it feels like the worst nightmare that I can’t wake up from. I can’t shake this fear that they are going to tell us there is nothing they can do and we only have months left.

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mightbeyesmightbeno · 02/02/2022 08:33

@Dukekaboom how are you doing? X

Winterlove · 05/02/2022 08:18

I’ve been thinking about you too @Dukekaboom x

Original poster
Dukekaboom · 06/02/2022 18:16

Hello lovely people. Thanks so much for checking in, that’s so kind of you.
It’s fair to say it really has been the most horrendous time. It’s made me realise how lovely my life was before and just how silly I was to worry about little things. I’d give anything for this not to be true and just can’t wrap my head around the fact that my lovely amazing mum has lung cancer.
We very recently moved to be closer to her so my children could spend lots of time with her (and me Of course!) and it just feel so so cruel that this has happened.
They are taking about doing surgery but we are still waiting the results of lots of tests. It feels like she’s a ticking time bomb, now we know it’s cancer I just wish they could cut it out x

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