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growth in lung nodule
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growth in lung nodule

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › growth in lung nodule

  • Post
    • April 5, 2018 at 1:12 am
    iskitwo
    Participant

       I am currently 3a. I posted back in Nov that scans showed a new 5mm nodule. Pet scan in Jan showed small amount of uptake (1.5) nodule 8mm.  Current scans show that nodule is now 9mm. Doctor mentioned doing a biopsy but it is in the lower left lobe and the radiologist cannot reach it by needle biosy. The oncologist said that it could also be done by VATS or that we could also continue to watch with scans. Just not sure what to do at this point. I guess at this point my question is….is it possible for a benign nodule to have this much growth? would it be best to justs biopsy and get the answers? 

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        • April 5, 2018 at 7:01 pm
        cjm22
        Participant

          I don't know what the most medically-sound, science-based answer is. I can only give you a personal anecdote. But I know from my experience with my boyfriend, I wish with all my heart that we pushed a lot harder for a biopsy when his regular CT scan (after stage III in 2014) showed an enlarged lung nodule. Instead we followed the oncologist's advice that it didn't look like cancer and allowed the pulmonary specialist to schedule another follow-up CT scan and possible biopsy 5 months after the original scan showed the enlarged nodule … Unfortunately, before the date for that follow-up arrived, my boyfriend was hospitalized, diagnosed stage IV, and is having a much harder time of it now. I wish we'd pushed for the biopsy of the lung nodule to happen much sooner. We just didn't know any better at the time. We'll never know how different things might have been if we'd done that.

            • April 6, 2018 at 3:20 pm
            iskitwo
            Participant

              Thanks for your reply. I just heard from the oncologist and we are moving forward with the biopsy. I hope that things for your boyfriend quickly start moving in the right direction. Sending prayers!

              • April 7, 2018 at 1:53 am
              cjm22
              Participant

                Thank you and good luck!!! There are so many possible causes of lung nodules, even growing ones, so my hope for you is that it turns out to be something very boring and unremarkable!

              • April 6, 2018 at 3:43 pm
              Bubbles
              Participant

                Hi iskitwo,

                Sorry you are dealing with this.  There are many reasons for nodules in the lung.  However, when you have a melanoma diagnosis it makes any such thing more than worrisome.  It sounds as though your lesion is growing at about 1 mm a month if I am counting and understanding correctly.  While that is certainly not what anyone wants, it is not crazy rapid either.  Given the slow (but steady) rate of growth, watching and waiting would not be a terrible option.  The surgery required to remove it is a significant procedure and would not be fun, but is certainly doable.  I had the upper lobe of my right lung removed in 2010.  It was hard…but I am fine.  

                With all that….I am a big believer in ~ Get the sucker out of there!!!  Because…

                a.  That's just me.

                b.  If it is melanoma and we let it sit, the odds of it growing…but perhaps even more importantly…changing from one isolated lesion to multiple lesions scattered in the lung…as well as over the rest of the body…is very significant.

                c.  It you remove it and it is melanoma…it is gone.

                d.  If you remove it and it is not melanoma…it is still gone….and YAY!!

                One other thought….are you BRAF positive?  Because if you are, you could start BRAF/MEK.  If it was melanoma it would probably go away in response to the drugs.  At that point, you would be closer to your answer and you would have (likely) treated your lesion.  We have learned (oddly enough) that using BRAFi as a neoadjuvant can be a really good thing:

                http://chaoticallypreciselifeloveandmelanoma.blogspot.com/2018/03/brafmek-before-surgery-as-well-as-after.html  

                So…that last is a little bit "out there"…but something to think about.  Having been living in melanoma world since 2003, I have plenty of data that supports "cherry picking" (the surgical removal of mets and lesions as they crop up) as one effective way of dealing with melanoma…..esp when we had no others.

                Not sure how much this helps.  Hang in there.  Celeste

                  • April 6, 2018 at 4:51 pm
                  iskitwo
                  Participant

                    Thanks for the response!! I think your A-D points are exactly how I feel. I am BRAF positive and that is very interesting. I have not heard of using it before you have moved to stage 4. I always thought of it as something they keep in their back pocket incase things got bad but still new to this and lots to learn.

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