Ex smoker with fear of lung cancer

[Louisa1983]

So I’m a 38 year old new mum with chronic health anxiety. My current ruminations revolve around lung cancer. Obviously it serves me right since I smoked since I was 20. I gave up at 30 but used an e cig until a year ago ( pregnancy). I’m worried about the e cig use as it’s so easy to use it all the time. It’s strange really as I hated smoking until I went through a traumatic event and ended up hooked on nicotine. Anyway, I recently got a bunch of symptoms including weird headaches and back pain and muscle spasms and I’m convinced I have metastases. I suppose I’m just looking for some kind words as I’m scared and essentially hate myself for doing it to myself.

It’s on my mind all the time and don’t know how to stop.

Thanking you all in advance.

[Cptdebbie]

My husband died of lung cancer. He was 61. I think you’re too young to worry about it, but if your symptoms continue for a few weeks, a simple chest X-ray might be all you need to rule out cancer.

My husband’s cancer was stage 4 when he was diagnosed. He took a pill with relatively few side effects (for chemo) that got rid of all the tumors in his body except for one. Unfortunately, that one tumor is what killed him.

I currently have several friends who are still alive decades after their diagnoses. And, I just recently read that there have been some even more strides in lung cancer treatment over the last few years.

Kudos to you on quitting smoking. As I said earlier, if your symptoms don’t go away, see your doctor. Early diagnosis is key to living longer. I believe my husband would still be alive had he been diagnosed sooner.

In case you are wondering, my husband had no symptoms until he became so sick he couldn’t even feed himself on some days. He did start getting migraine auras from his brain tumors, but he didn’t cough or have chest pain or anything. He had never smoked, so it took months for the docs to figure out what was happening. Lung cancer was the furthest thing from everyone’s mind.

[panic_down_under]

So I’m a 38 year old new mum with chronic health anxiety. My current ruminations revolve around lung cancer. Obviously it serves me right since I smoked since I was 20. I gave up at 30 but used an e cig until a year ago

It is unlikely that you will have developed lung cancer at 38 yo, Louisa, especially a tumour so advanced that it has spread to the brain and back. Lung cancers are mostly cancers of older age, 50 plus with most cases beginning from 65 yo.

As Cptdebbie said, the key to surviving LC is early detection so when you're around 50 yo talk to your GP about having regular chest x-rays every 2-3 years. That's what saved my life with a 10-12mm nodule detected by the second x-ray when I was 52. At that stage surgery is almost always curative, but the chances of surviving it drop greatly as the tumours become more advanced.

It’s on my mind all the time and don’t know how to stop.

If your health anxiety isn't being treated now might be a good time to do something about it. It is a bigger risk factor than smoking. Anxiety/stress is the leading cause of premature death as it can trigger many of the behaviours (such as self medicating with nicotine) and diseases that hasten our demise.

[Louisa1983]

Thank you for sharing this personal story-Cptdebbie. I am very sorry to hear your husband passed away from it.

I will be honest, I think I have burned my bridges with my doctor. Due to health anxiety! Frankly ( and I get why) she’s fed up of my frequent visits!

[Louisa1983]

I’m very glad you got checked out panic_down_under I did get a CXR last October due to constant cough. Clear. But I have thought what you suggest is a good idea. And of course you are correct re anxiety/self med.

[Louisa1983]

Actually- you’re in Oz right? Out of interest is that an agreement you made with your doc? Just as I can’t see mine agreeing to this ( NHS in UK)

[panic_down_under]

I’m very glad you got checked out panic_down_under I did get a CXR last October due to constant cough. Clear.

Most lung cancers grow relatively slowly so if you had the all clear a year ago it is unlikely one has grown big enough to have metastasised to the brain and now be large enough there to trigger headaches, etc.

Actually- you’re in Oz right? Out of interest is that an agreement you made with your doc? Just as I can’t see mine agreeing to this ( NHS in UK)

GPs here have more latitude in prescribing than seems to be the case for their UK colleagues, plus we're not bound to one. If we have a mind to and enough time and cash there is nothing to stop us consulting every GP in the land. I also had other risk factors besides having smoked for about a decade which probably played a part, plus I'm a cranky old bugger who usually gets his way. My new GP seems okay with continuing with regular screenings. In fact my biggest issue with her is she is always wanting me to have more tests every time something a little unusual crops up which seems to be happening more often as I plunge ever further into the decrepitude of old age. She is gradually having every organ of my carcase evaluated in great detail. I can't wait till she gets to the one between my ears. Now that is really going to blow her mind!

The NHS seems to be implementing lung cancer *screenings in some areas, albeit mostly with CT scans which may be excessive. Chest x-rays can pick up small stage I nodules and these days the radiation exposure they produce is tiny, about a quarter of that emitted during a mammogram which are considered an acceptable risk.

* Targeted Lung Health Checks (TLHC)

Coventry and Rugby Lung Health Checks

Screening and Prevention - West Midlands Cancer Alliance

Lung Health Checks to be rolled out across North Manchester [PDF]

[Louisa1983]

Ahh I doubt you’re so old. At least your doctor is on the ball! A good thing. Not always so here! It’s true re screening but I don’t meet criteria atm. Thanks for responding 😊

[Louisa1983]

I wonder if anyone else has similar worries to me. Or regrets.

[AnxietySufferer]

I have the same worry about my mum. She was a smoker for years and now smokes an e cig. I also worry about COPD because she has a cough that doesn’t seem to go away. But it’s her choice to smoke I can’t change that (trust me I’ve tried, getting her into E cigs was the best I could do). Lung cancer is still rare even in smokers. I have looked into this in detail. I also agree you are quite young and I it is very slow growing.