I was 56 years old and had an 8cm tumor in my upper right lobe. It was diagnosed as adenocarcinoma NSCLC. The cancer had not spread to my lymph nodes and I had my upper and middle lobes removed. This was in August of 2010. I subsequently had 6 months of chemo and February 2012 will be my first anniversary of being cancer-free. I had been a smoker but had quit over 12 years ago. I had no symptoms other than sometimes being out of breathe. I attributed this to me being overweight and lack of exercise. I had no cough or any other symptoms. Only reason the cancer was detected was I undergoing another procedure and that doctor wanted a pre-op chest x-ray. Regardless of what the medical community says, I would highly recommend any ex-smoker or current smoker as your doctor for at least an annual x-ray. Better yet, ask for a CT scan. I've read opposing views on the benefits of yearly testing using x-rays or CT scans, but if these diagnostic tools uncover at least one occurrence of cancer then it's well worth the cost.
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Hi Corosco54,
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. I couldn't agree with you more! There are too many people that think that after quitting smoking they are safe, your health will definitely improve and quitting can ultimately save your life however it is so important to realize that no matter what some damage was done--major or minor.
Thanks again for sharing!
Rosa
December 15, 2011 - 6:46amThis Comment