HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post

Joan M · 02-14-2009, 08:03 AM

What a week.

I've been out of touch lately and in the hospital because of two episodes of coughing up blood.

I wasn't having coughing fits, but rather the blood came up and caused me to cough.

At this time the cause is unknown.

Last Tuesday I had a broncoscopy, and the preliminary results are negative for a bacteria or fungal infection, both of which can cause coughing up blood, and the culture is still growing to determine whether there is any cancer. However, if there is cancer, it's probably not causing the problem.

I had a PET/CT scan early January as a second follow-up to the lung radiofrequency ablation I had in August. The RFA was to ablate a recurrence of a single met removed by a wedge resection in April 2007. The scan lit up a lot, but two radiologists and a pulmonologist could not determine whether cancer or inflammation was causing the hypermetabolic activity. Some of my bronchial tubes and a hilar lymph node also lit up, but there were not nodules present.

The doctors decided not to prescribe antibiotics in the event that there was an infection causing the inflammation, becaue I had no symtoms, and we decided to wait and repeat the scan in three months.

It may be that the PET/CT results and the coughing up blood are coincidental. That is, the bleeding could be caused by necrosis of the tumor ablated in August impinging on a blood vessel in the lung (the broncoscopy did not enter the lung, but the pulmonoloigst determined that the bleeding was coming from the bronchus connected to the ablated area).

The doctors were almost 100% sure that the bleeding was due to an infection. The growth of bacteria and fungas can be common after RFA as the ablation creates a cavity around the tumor which can be a haven.

The nurse in the pulmonolist's office called with the preliminary results and was not able to answser some of my questions, such as what do I do if in the final analysis there's no bacteria or fungus.

I have to wait to hear about whether there are any cancer cells in the bronchial wash. The results will determine whether I go on chemo again (although my onc and I are considering adding Tykerb but are waiting to repeat a brian MRI which will be a follow up to the brain surgery I had in October and the stereostatic radiotherapy that followed).

I've been back to work and very busy.

02-14-2009, 08:03 AM	#1
Joan M Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,851	Been in the hospital What a week. I've been out of touch lately and in the hospital because of two episodes of coughing up blood. I wasn't having coughing fits, but rather the blood came up and caused me to cough. At this time the cause is unknown. Last Tuesday I had a broncoscopy, and the preliminary results are negative for a bacteria or fungal infection, both of which can cause coughing up blood, and the culture is still growing to determine whether there is any cancer. However, if there is cancer, it's probably not causing the problem. I had a PET/CT scan early January as a second follow-up to the lung radiofrequency ablation I had in August. The RFA was to ablate a recurrence of a single met removed by a wedge resection in April 2007. The scan lit up a lot, but two radiologists and a pulmonologist could not determine whether cancer or inflammation was causing the hypermetabolic activity. Some of my bronchial tubes and a hilar lymph node also lit up, but there were not nodules present. The doctors decided not to prescribe antibiotics in the event that there was an infection causing the inflammation, becaue I had no symtoms, and we decided to wait and repeat the scan in three months. It may be that the PET/CT results and the coughing up blood are coincidental. That is, the bleeding could be caused by necrosis of the tumor ablated in August impinging on a blood vessel in the lung (the broncoscopy did not enter the lung, but the pulmonoloigst determined that the bleeding was coming from the bronchus connected to the ablated area). The doctors were almost 100% sure that the bleeding was due to an infection. The growth of bacteria and fungas can be common after RFA as the ablation creates a cavity around the tumor which can be a haven. The nurse in the pulmonolist's office called with the preliminary results and was not able to answser some of my questions, such as what do I do if in the final analysis there's no bacteria or fungus. I have to wait to hear about whether there are any cancer cells in the bronchial wash. The results will determine whether I go on chemo again (although my onc and I are considering adding Tykerb but are waiting to repeat a brian MRI which will be a follow up to the brain surgery I had in October and the stereostatic radiotherapy that followed). I've been back to work and very busy. __________________ Diagnosed stage 2b in July 2003 (2.3 cm, HER2+, ER-/PR-, 7+ nodes). Treated with mastectomy (with immediate DIEP flap reconstruction), AC + T/Herceptin (off label). Cancer advanced to lung in Jan. 2007 (1 cm nodule). Started Herceptin every 3 weeks. Lung wedge resection April 2007. Cancer recurred in lung April 2008. RFA of lung in August 2008. 2nd annual brain MRI in Oct. 2008 discovered 2.6 cm cystic tumor in left frontal lobe. Craniotomy Oct. 2008 (ER-/PR-/HER2-) followed by targeted radiation (IMRT). Coughing up blood Feb. 2009. Thoractomy July 2009 to cut out fungal ball of common soil fungus (aspergillus) that grew in the RFA cavity (most likely inhaled while gardening). No cancer, only fungus. Removal of tiny melanoma from upper left arm, plus sentinel lymph node biopsy in Feb. 2016. Guardant Health liquid biopsy in Feb. 2016 showed mutations in 4 subtypes of TP53. Repeat of Guardant Health biopsy in Jana. 2021 showed 3 TP53 mutations, BRCA1 mutation and CHEK2 mutation. Invitae genetic testing showed negative for all of these. Living with MBC since 2007. Stopped Herceptin Hylecta (injection) treatment in March 2020. Recent 2021 annual CT of chest, abdomen and pelvis and annual brain MRI showed NED. Praying for NED forever!!