The next chapter on the cancer front...

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Lung cancer


When I departed for my long awaited trip to the UK, I did so with the knowledge that a lung nodule that my care team has been monitoring since 2017 had grown from 8mm in Nov. to 12mm in Apr, indicating that it was neoplastic. My radiation oncologist told me in early May that we were looking at a single dose of radiation to treat it.

On Tuesday I had a biopsy of the nodule to determine if it is related to my previous laryngeal & oropharyngeal sarcomas, or if it is an unrelated lung cancer which decided to make an appearance. I will have that result on Monday.
On Wednesday, I had a CT mapping session so we could proceed with the radiation treatment. During the mapping CT, it was found that the nodule had grown even larger, over 20mm, with one measurement showing up to 27mm. Radiation oncologist looked worried and said that I needed chest CT scans to check both size and extent of the growth of the nodule since the scans in April. Luckily my chemo Oncologist had ordered both head/neck and chest CT scans as part of my follow-up to last Aug/Sept chemo/radiation treatments.
On Thursday I had those scans. The chest CT measured the nodule as 21mm but also said that bleeding from the biopsy made determining the correct size difficult. The CT also found that three lymph nodes had roughly doubled in size as well. Rather than a single megadose of radiation as planned in early May, I looking at multiple radiation treatments over at least two weeks. Other treatment may also be needed. My chemo Oncologist said that he doesn't treat lung cancer cases and I would be handed off to one of his colleagues for treatment.
The MUSC Tumor Board will discuss my case on Monday to decide on the best course of treatment for me. But, no worries on my end, we got this!!! Gonna kick its ass just like the other ones.
I also met with both my ENT surgeons who operated on me last May, as follow-up to the oropharyngeal sarcoma surgery. Just as with the chemo Oncologist, it was the routine follow-up just over one year out from surgery. Good news is that last DNA test was clear, and head/neck CT scans were clear. Still have the esophageal constriction which will be a continuous issue for me. But all trace of cancer in tongue region is gone! So, yaaaaaaay for that.
Thus far, cancers in the following: larynx, oropharynx, & now lung.
Wonder if this will be the last one I have to get sorted?


28 June 2023
Message from one of my oncologists today, which reiterates my last message about the state of things for me:
"The Lung cancer tumor board just met and agreed this looks like a new cancer and not a metastasis from your head and neck cancer.
They agree with PET/CT
They will also be getting you in with a pulmonary doctor to consider sampling of some lymph nodes in the chest as well as to meet a lung cancer surgeon.
It is hard to say the exact management going forward just yet, but it is likely it will involve surgical resection.
You should be hearing of more appointments in the near future."
Yaaaaaay for me!


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