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Lung pathology report
I'm happy to say that the surgical pathology report from my recent lung wedge resection showed no cancer.
The results indicated only mycetoma, or a fungal ball, and a separtate culture grew aspergillous, a common soil fungas that probably took hold after I had the radiofrequency ablation of the lung last August.
Recovery from the surgery is going slowly. After a few days at home the left side of my chest became swollen and I couldn't see my left collar bone, and then a lump developed at the base of my neck on the left side.
An x-ray showed subcutaneous emphysema, or air in the tissue under the skin, and a partial pneumothorax, or collapsed lung, as well.
I had to stay on bedrest for several days. A subsequent CT scan showed that the hole has closed up, and I'm starting to see my collar bone again.
I'm just glad that I wasn't remitted to the hospital for a drainage tube.
Most of the problem seems to be in my left flank. That's where is hurts the most. And I think that the pain is related to my ribs perhaps being removed or partially removed during the surgery. If it doesn't improve in a couple of days I'm going to call the surgeon to make sure that everything is okay, or that a rib hasn't broken from the pressure of the ribs being spread apart during the surgery.
Joan
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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 2023 annual CT of chest, abdomen and pelvis and annual brain MRI showed NED. Praying for NED forever!!
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