Anyone with ONLY lung mets, E+, her2+?
Going through a lengthy incidentally found pulmonary nodule diagnostic journey (8 mm, low avidity on PET, nothing else lit up). It was found on a cardiac CT for high LDL (perfect score, no statin 🤪).
Followup CT to prep for biopsy says nodule most likely benign but a few additional micronodules were found, scattered in my lungs.
Anyone been diagnosed solely with mets to lungs, and how found?
12 years out from t1a E+, her2+, 5 years tamoxifen.
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Hi @rosamond,
Just popping in here to let you know we've moved this post to the Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis forum to better help you get answers from those who may be able to weigh in with their experiences.
To answer your question, it's possible if in fact a breast cancer has recurred and spread that it would appear in one area only, and no others.
We really hope your lung spots are benign. Do you know when you'll get your biopsy?
Thinking of you!
—The Mods
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A biopsy is scheduled for 8/11. This is about a 8 mm incidentally found pulmonary nodule only mildly avid to PET FDG. I had a perfectly clear cardiac scan due to borderline high LDL.
It has been a 7 week diagnostic journey at a NCI teaching hospital with multiple conferences.
Both the regular PET and a dotatate PET to look for a neuroendocrine tumor (carcinoid) were mildly reactive. CT's favor benign entities like a hamartoma, lymph node, or a granuloma. Thr micronodules may be due to a recent bad chest cold and horrid cough that I just got over. Nothing is clustering nor lit up on PET FDG. No other bright spots needing follow up, but I am getting a thyroid biopsy Monday due to 1.8 cm nodule that was not suspicious on ultrasound but is 3 mm above size cut off we use in the states to get biopsied.
I am getting a second opinion on Wednesday from another NCI teaching hospital in my city. SO thankful for excellent healthcare options near me and health insurance!
My BC team expedited my initial PET and are not concerned but of course interested in developments. They told me it was good news after the PET so thinking that I may be dealing with a smallish, slow growing lung cancer new primary if not benign.
Before the latest imaging, they were willing to go for resection biopsy as the nodule is in a difficult location to biopsy and quite small. Now that latest tests lean towards benignity but not conclusive, that team wants biopsy first. It has a high probability of failure and also could result in false negative as nodule is so small.
BC mets are in back of my mind, but my 1.7% chance of recurrence with the cancer being 12 years ago and low PET avidity, plus appearance on CT favoring benign, seems unlikely but not impossible.
7 weeks and counting for answers!
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Went for a second opinion. Mets not suspected. Likely benign so surveillance scanning.
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I had breast Cancer dxed in 2010, Had rt breast mastectomy, then chemo and adjuvant therapy. I was HER2+, stage 2, about 28 lymph nodes removed No reoccurence of any growths until 2020 when I had triple bypass and they noticed lung nodule about 7 mm on xray and then CT scan . During the open heart surgery, my silicone implant was apparently punctured and I ended up with sepsis. They surgically removed the implant a few days later. I had a lung biopsy in 2023 as it was now 12 mm. Lung Biopsy was negative and so was PET scan so we just decided just to watch it. Now in April 2025, had another lung biopsy because it had grown to 17mm. This time I am diagnosed with neuroendocrine lung tumor/carcinoid. The PET scan also lit up. I am having another PET/ dotatate scan to see if there any other areas beside the lung that indicate metatasis. . This is rather scary and apparently a rare form of cancer. Does anyone know if breast cancer can lead to lung NET/ carcinoid. It is all in the same location. Have some symptoms of carcinoid syndrome but uncertain if the lung nodule is causing them.
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hi @rosamond Great news that it’s likely benign!
I had stage I ER/PR+ HER2- cancer in 2018, treated with lumpectomy, radiation and tamoxifen for five years. This year in April during my routine MRI pleural effusion was picked up on my right lung. Did PET/CT couldn’t confirm malignancy as the SUV uptake was mild. Fortunate to have an oncologist who didn’t want to wait and referred me to a cardiologist to get a VATS procedure done. During the procedure they saw multiple lung nodules which didn’t show up on the PET/CT and the biopsy of pleura confirmed that it was indeed breast cancer and the same as the original tumor.
It sucks, but luckily there are treatment options available to us that are not chemo. I’ve just started my second round of Kisqali. After my third round will have a PET scan to see if treatment is working. There are many fellow members with Mets to one and to multiple areas that are living their life for several years so it’s not as dim as a stage IV diagnosis used to be at one point in time.0
