Answer Summary
Members shared their experiences with stage 3A lung cancer treatment and the uncertainty of waiting for recurrence, with several describing... Read more
Diane 897, It sounds like the only reason they are saying your are mets is because they found 4 bad nodes out of 24 sampled? If you didn't have any other spots showing up on your PET/CT, then they probably didn't have a spot they were specifically targeting with radiation.
Most likely they were trying to reduce your chances of recurrence by using chemo and a broad radiation field maybe to the area where they found the bad nodes? So if they didn't have a spot identified to target, then their objective was just to eliminate any stray cancer cells in your chest using radiation and chemo treatments.
Now that you are finished with treatments they will keep scanning you looking to see if a new cancer spot comes back or not. Your doctors will probably order a CT every three months for the first few years. Then years 3-5 they will probably reduce this to a CT or PET every 6 months. Then finally about year 5 you will get a CT or PET once a year. About year 10 you will get a chest x-ray every year. You won't know the cancer if gone or not for sure, they will just keep watching you for new spots. Anyway, that's what happened to me and I made it 21 years before a new spot came back. I had the 7 weeks of concurrent chemo and radiation like you right after surgery back in 2000.
I have stage 3A but was told it has not metastisized outside of the original lung and lumph nodes.
Has your cancer traveled beyond one lung?
Haven't had a PET scan since treatment ended, but my CT scan shows NED.
Diane 897. I did have a good day today so thank you so much for the blessing. I had my 6 month CT last week. My spot has grown by 2mm. So I go in to see onc Wednesday this week to see what he says. I am 70 years old and so if it keeps growing by 2 mm every 6 months then just hoping I can live in harmony with it for many years to come. Barb
You are such an inspiration to me. Good luck Wednesday. I am 66 and feel like my life is in the house or at drs. 🤗
Hi Yellowstone Lady. I went to the Dr's. 3/22. Still put on hold for a couple of weeks. Had to reschedule the PET Scan because I was in the hospital for pneuminitus pneumonia. I n recovering. It's tough because my heart is racing. The Dr. and test show nothing wrong with the heart. Oxygen level a bit low. I rake oxygen when needed, for a short time, prednisone, Advair. So we shall see what's next🤷♀️
Have a wonderful blessed day.