Pet Scan

[concerneddaughter2008]

My father had a pet scan because a spot in his lung became larger than his cat scan in 5/07. The spot "lit up" so according to the pulmonologist that meant an 80% chance of lung cancer.
My father has COPD, Emphysema, chronic bronchitis, he smoked for over 40 years. He quit for 14 years. He is now going to be 75 next month.
The pulmonologist said his options were to do a needle biopsy-but that would not be good because it may produce a false negative.
The pulmonologist said he would recommend surgery to remove a 1/3 of his lung? Is this normal for a a spot that is 1 cm?  Thank you

[concerneddaughter2008]

Thank you Dr.
I am losing a lot of sleep and a lot of tears over this. Our appointment is tomorrow.

[HeinrikMD]

Hi,

Most cancers can be biopsied first, but there are indeed cases in which an operation would be required. It isn't really a question of nodule size, it would depend on accessibility of the area to an approach with a needle or through the airways. There are cases where there is a lot of swelling/inflammation that the region of interest is not clearly seen- these would be better off undergoing a more invasive approach.

In general, the procedure would involve a biopsy, if the pathologist reads this as cancer- subsequent lung lobe removal follows.

Try to find out if it is possible to carry out a biopsy using scopes instead of an open chest operation.  

Of course, your father will be tested if he is likely to tolerate the lung reduction involved in the surgery, that is a separate issue.

Stay positive and discuss your concerns with your doctor.