Lung Concerns

[Joannie]

Hi All:
I posted last week about shortness of breath and chest pains which I thought was due to taking Tykerb. I'm currently enrolled in the TEACH trial. I went and had an echo and CT scan of the heart on Wed. All the tests show normal. After more reading, I am concerned I might have lung issues....I have read the symptoms of lung cancer and some of what I'm experiencing was listed. My onc. office is closed today but I have an appt. to see them Wednesday. I already know the test results. I think that I need to call them first thing Monday morning and arrange for them to call in an order for a lung x-ray. I recently have had tumor marker tests done, both through the trial and through my regular onc. All were normal. I know those tests are not the perfect guage. My blood pressure was quite low. 91 over something. I have also had numbness/tingling in my hands during the night, for the past 3 nights. I'm worried and now I have a long holiday weekend to get through. I'm relieved it's not my heart, as least so far, but could it be lung mets??? Advice please!
Thanks!
Joannie

[tricia keegan]

Joannie I don't have any great advice for you but hope everything goes well for you and this is just a scare we all get now and again. I do know though that the symptoms of lung mets are also the symptoms of about ten other benign conditions(found that out while self diagnosing!) so try not to panic too much and hope the other ladies/gents can reassure you and advise.

[jones7676]

Maybe you just have a touch of a bug that is going around...try to relax and stay positive...it may be nothing.

[kcherub]

Joannie,

Like everyone always tells me, get it checked out so that you can not worry! While I am not in that trial, I think that the Herceptin that I take has affected by breathing, and I do have occasional chest pains. Does it hurt when you press on it, or deeper? My seem to be muscular, which my ONC. kept telling me, but I could only confirm by pressing when it hurt.

Please let us know what you find out!

Take care,

[CLTann]

Just to relieve your worriness, lung cancer's main symptom is coughing, not pain. Pain is most likely from the rib cage. Still an x ray pic will quickly show. Best luck.

[tousled1]

Joannie,

I don't know what to say to put your mind at ease regarding lung mets. I was diagnosed with lung mets in July and if I were you I would ask my oncologist for a PEt/CT scan of the chest just for your own peace of mind. I'm sure that your shortness of breath is nothing serious as when I was on Herceptin I always had shortness of breath. I've also read that Tykerb can cause shortness of breath.