Stage II HR-Positive Lung Cancer: Christine's Survivor Story

What happened, in summary

Christine’s lung cancer was found during treatment for a separate Stage III triple-positive breast cancer. Extensive testing for the breast cancer included scans of the liver, brain, chest, abdomen, pelvis, and reproductive organs. A lung nodule was seen, but at first it was treated as insignificant. Christine kept checking her own records and noticed the nodule changed during breast cancer chemotherapy, shrinking from about 1.6 to 1.1. Because of its location near the breast, she worried it could represent Stage IV breast cancer, and she pushed for more evaluation, including a PET scan, biopsy, and additional opinions. The lung biopsy was uncomfortable and inconclusive, but Christine still chose to remove the nodule for peace of mind. About 1 month after breast surgery, she had laparoscopic lower lung resection. Recovery was harder than expected because of a reaction after surgery, pain, and the need to rebuild lung capacity and upper-body strength with physiotherapy. Weeks later, pathology confirmed the nodule was not metastatic breast cancer, but a separate primary lung cancer, Stage IIA. No lung-specific drug regimen is named. Radiation already planned for the left breast also covered the lung tumor area. As of May 2023, Christine described being in complete remission from both cancers after about 1 year.