55 years
My aunt at the age of 57 has a mass of non-intact on the lung and could not be surgery currently have to eradicate because of the low percentage of oxygen in blood, shortness of breath what we do
Aug 15, 2014
A "lung mass" is defined as an abnormal spot in the lungs that is more than 3 cm in size. If a spot (or spots) is less than 3 cm in diameter, it is called a "lung nodule."
Unfortunately, the most common cause of a mass in the lungs is one of the types of lung cancer,however there are also other causes too,like cancers in other body ,abscesses ,infections aneurysms,cysts,....
>The treatment of your lung mass will depend upon the underlying cause.
If it is a cancerous tumor of the lung or from the spread of a cancer from another region of the body to the lung, treatment options may include:
surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy.
Other less common causes of lung masses, such as infections, will be treated based on the diagnosis you and your doctor determine after testing.
In case of your aunt,she may not be a good candidate for surgery to remove all or part of a lung since she has poor lung function withh low oxygen saturation .
Cardiac studies may also be done if you have any risk factors for complications from heart problems.
A full lung function must be done before deciding a surgery .
Lung surgery may be done to confirm a diagnosis of lung cancer. Additional surgery, such as removing the affected lobe (lobectomy) or lymph node biopsies, may be done at the same time for treatment purposes.
All these measures contribute when talking about surgery when a mass is seen on the lung
If she can’t have major surgery because she has reduced lung function or other serious medical problems, or if the cancer has spread too far to be removed, other treatments may be used to relieve some symptoms.
>>These treatments, called palliative procedures(alleviating a problem without dealing with the underlying cause), can relieve symptoms, but they do not cure the cancer and are recommended only if you cannot have surgery to completely remove the tumor. If you are treated with these procedures you may also get radiation therapy. like :
-Treating airway blockage
If the tumor is blocking airways in the lung, it might lead to pneumonia or shortness of breath. Removing most of the tumor through a bronchoscope or destroying most of it with a laser (on the end of a bronchoscope) can be helpful.
In some cases, a bronchoscope may be used to place a stent (a stiff tube) made of metal or silicone in the airway after treatment to help keep it open.
-Treating fluid buildup
Sometimes fluid can build up inside the chest (outside of the lungs), which can press on the lungs and affect breathing. Usually, a hollow needle is put through the skin and into the pleural space to remove the fluid. (This is known as a thoracentesis.) Removing the fluid can relieve breathing problems right away in most patients, but the fluid will often build up again quickly if nothing else is done.
-Pleurodesis: To remove the fluid and keep it from coming back, doctors sometimes do a procedure called pleurodesis. A small cut is made in the skin of the chest wall, and a hollow tube is placed into the chest to remove the fluid. Either talc or a drug such as doxycycline or a chemotherapy drug is then instilled into the chest cavity.
-Catheter placement: This is another way to control the buildup of fluid.
So the best to decide the better option for your aunt is her cardiologist pulmonogist and surgeon together .
Unfortunately, the most common cause of a mass in the lungs is one of the types of lung cancer,however there are also other causes too,like cancers in other body ,abscesses ,infections aneurysms,cysts,....
>The treatment of your lung mass will depend upon the underlying cause.
If it is a cancerous tumor of the lung or from the spread of a cancer from another region of the body to the lung, treatment options may include:
surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy.
Other less common causes of lung masses, such as infections, will be treated based on the diagnosis you and your doctor determine after testing.
In case of your aunt,she may not be a good candidate for surgery to remove all or part of a lung since she has poor lung function withh low oxygen saturation .
Cardiac studies may also be done if you have any risk factors for complications from heart problems.
A full lung function must be done before deciding a surgery .
Lung surgery may be done to confirm a diagnosis of lung cancer. Additional surgery, such as removing the affected lobe (lobectomy) or lymph node biopsies, may be done at the same time for treatment purposes.
All these measures contribute when talking about surgery when a mass is seen on the lung
If she can’t have major surgery because she has reduced lung function or other serious medical problems, or if the cancer has spread too far to be removed, other treatments may be used to relieve some symptoms.
>>These treatments, called palliative procedures(alleviating a problem without dealing with the underlying cause), can relieve symptoms, but they do not cure the cancer and are recommended only if you cannot have surgery to completely remove the tumor. If you are treated with these procedures you may also get radiation therapy. like :
-Treating airway blockage
If the tumor is blocking airways in the lung, it might lead to pneumonia or shortness of breath. Removing most of the tumor through a bronchoscope or destroying most of it with a laser (on the end of a bronchoscope) can be helpful.
In some cases, a bronchoscope may be used to place a stent (a stiff tube) made of metal or silicone in the airway after treatment to help keep it open.
-Treating fluid buildup
Sometimes fluid can build up inside the chest (outside of the lungs), which can press on the lungs and affect breathing. Usually, a hollow needle is put through the skin and into the pleural space to remove the fluid. (This is known as a thoracentesis.) Removing the fluid can relieve breathing problems right away in most patients, but the fluid will often build up again quickly if nothing else is done.
-Pleurodesis: To remove the fluid and keep it from coming back, doctors sometimes do a procedure called pleurodesis. A small cut is made in the skin of the chest wall, and a hollow tube is placed into the chest to remove the fluid. Either talc or a drug such as doxycycline or a chemotherapy drug is then instilled into the chest cavity.
-Catheter placement: This is another way to control the buildup of fluid.
So the best to decide the better option for your aunt is her cardiologist pulmonogist and surgeon together .
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If this is a malignant mass that is not responding to chemotherapy or radiation, then surgical excision is the only solution, otherwise the respiratory status will further deteriorate because this mass will most likely continue to expand and thus exert more pressure on the airways, even affecting the larger airways (the trachea "windpipe" and bronchi), which is a life threatening condition.
Also note that usually the diseased part of the lung receives little gas exchange (air goes in and out in the healthy part where there's no resistance, whereas the diseased part has lots of tumor cells that narrow down the airways, making air passage through them very difficult), so your aunt is most likely better off without the diseased part, despite the risks associated with undergoing surgery with a low oxygen in the blood.
Also note that usually the diseased part of the lung receives little gas exchange (air goes in and out in the healthy part where there's no resistance, whereas the diseased part has lots of tumor cells that narrow down the airways, making air passage through them very difficult), so your aunt is most likely better off without the diseased part, despite the risks associated with undergoing surgery with a low oxygen in the blood.
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