I've got stage 2 lung cancer (lower right lobe - adenocarcinoma) and had a (painless) needle biopsy as a bronchoscopy wasn't possible. I will be having surgery to remove the lower right lobe soon, which, hopefully will be curative.

A bronchoscopy with EBUS is minimally invasive, in that they don't have to make any holes in you to do the biopsy, whereas the needle biopsy does. 

Prior to my biopsy I was told it was stage 1 and it wasn't until I'd had the biopsy that it was assigned as stage 2 (actually stage T2A).

To my best knowledge it's not imperative to have a biopsy before having a lobectomy but I suggest that you ask the consultant or the nurses here.

It would be a shame just to give up and die when an operation may offer a cure. That's what I'm hoping for, anyway.

Your mum's fortunate to have you to support her. 

Hi Sharza,

Thank you for your reply and kind words.

Yes, I agree with you. I am hoping I can get lots of info so she can make the right decision for her and I will support what ever she decides to do. She is quite fit and healthy and apart from shortness of breath (ex-smoker and also has COPD) she has no other symptoms and can still complete housework, shopping etc.

Take care and I wish you all the best with your surgery and for the future.

Thank you and all the best to you and your mum.

Another thing....

In January, this year, I had a CT scan to check my heart.

It was this CT scan that showed a mass on my lung so the hospital that I was under referred me to their respiratory team.

The respiratory consultant 

Oops - I noticed that not all of my post turned up. To continue....

The respiratory consultant said that they wouldn't do a biopsy but, subject to satisfactory lung function tests, would do a PET/CT scan (to check any spread presumably?) and then operate to remove the tumour.

I did ask why a biopsy wasn't necessary before the operation and the consultant said there was a risk of an air leak.

I then asked my GP to refer me to a different, more specialist, hospital which is where I am being cared for now. As it happens they had a slightly different approach and I did have a biopsy with them, as I mentioned in an earlier post.

So, to summarise: one hospital offered me a biopsy before surgery and another hospital didn't. So, I guess a biopsy isn't imperative.

How did they detect the mass? Was it though a chest x-ray, CT scan? Someone must have requested it in the first place - perhaps your mum's GP?

The word "mass" means that the lesion is over 3cm, to my best knowledge.

Who actually contacted your mum?

It may be that they need to do a biopsy to decide on the most suitable treatment (eg type of chemotherapy). If your mum doesn't want chemotherapy then it may be that there wouldn't be any point in her having a biopsy.

Perhaps the nurses can suggest a way forward? 

I hope you can make some progress.

Thank you Sharxa

She was rushed in hospital last Sunday night. With what we believed was a chest infection. 

She has had two CT scans an x-ray and ultrasound.

They have stated as she doesn't want chemo they will not do a biopsy.

But it so hard to get to speak to a doctor, she is still in hospital. Oxygen levels not settled she has been on oxygen the whole time she has been in there.

It's so hard to take it all on board when no one is actually discussing it with us.

Thank you for your support 

This must be such a worrying time for you.

I do hope that you manage to have a discussion with the doctors and get some answers. It would help if you knew the actual stage of cancer and their reason for recommending chemotherapy. It may be that surgery isn't an option or that chemotherapy is needed prior to surgery.

Wishing you all the best.

Hi, I am so sorry to hear about your Mum and the worrying time you must be going through. I was luckily that I was at the outpatient's appointment with my Mum and was able to write down some of the information she was told. Although we wasn't told that she was on the two-week urgent referral pathway, what the appointment was for or what type of Consultant she would be seeing. At the appointment she was given information about tests and who to contact but nothing about Lung Cancer itself. Mum doesn't have access to the internet so can't look for information like I can. Now I have so many questions as I feel we wasn't given enough information at the time (and it was a shock I just couldn't think of any at the time) so my Mum is going to ring the team to give her consent that I can ask some questions. This is a very distressing time for family members as it is but I feel when we are not given enough or in your case any information it causes unnecessary stress and pain for us.  I hope that you manage to speak to the Doctors and hope that you are given some answers. Take care and wishing you all the best.