My Youngest case diagnosed as Lung Cancer !!

This is, by far, the youngest case that I have diagnose as Primary Lung Cancer (Adenocarcinoma). A 25 years , healthy male , non smoker ... visit me for a second opinion that his routine annual checkup Chest X-ray found a mass at Right upper lung. He seems to be normal and did not smoke ever. Upon reviewing the x ray , tuberculosis was suspected .

The turning point was when I saw his CT scan image. The mass was not typical for tuberculosis but more like a cancer. So, I had to convince him to proceed for Fiberoptic bronchoscopy and soon, the mass was biopsied.

right upper lung mass ( red arrow)

CT image showed spiculated mass which warrant a search for malignancy ( red arrow)

I could remember, in the OR ( operation room) , I was telling him....

" It's OK brother, everything will be fine and these too shall pass.."

All I could pray was " May its tuberculosis God..."

So, by the grace of God, everything was smooth in the OR. The OR time was around 30-40 minute, with no significant bleeding and complications. He was discharged and 72 hours appointment was made.

Phayathai 3 Operation Theater

Unfortunately and Unexpectedly, diagnosed as Lung Cancer Stage 2 . !! I was compelled to believe that ..a healthy , happy , never smoked or had any risk... is having a lung cancer at an age of 25 . It would have not surprise me if result were either leukemia, lymphoma or germ cell tumor because these cancer are very common in early adulthood.

But Lung cancer at this age... not to my history of four to five hundreds bronchoscopy cases...

It was a painful moment to deliver such bad news to him and his mother... He underwent wedge resection of his lung ( which also confirm adenocarcinoma ) and is now proceeding for chemotherapy. Currently, he has been transferred to a public hospital due to financial issue but we are still in touch, as we were very close during tough decisions.

This story was one of my painful experience and it remind me a teaching of one of my " walking Buddha" mentor

“ You never know when bad news knock on your door... Just make sure that you don’t regret “ not doing what you wanna do “ once it knock on your door. Be proactive in shaping your future and your community towards a better living.... “