Question

This week's discussion post is another attempt at explaining to a patient how the medical process works.

You are asked to explain to a patient the following passage from the medical record:

75 yo male with history of tobacco use, now with 2.5 cm mass in LUL on CXR. PET suspicious for carcinoma. PLAN - MRI, then FNA of lesion. If bronchoscopy needed will need supplemental O2 due to low resting sats. Eventual thoracotomy for resection if no mets. Prognosis guarded.

Write your post in clear layman's terms.

Answer 1

Layman's term :-

A 75year old male who had an habit of tobacco usuage has now came up with a mass ( solid lesion ) of 2.5 cm in measurement in the left upper lobe of lungs in the chest X-ray . An investigation called positron emission test is needed to confirm lung cancer . Plan is to do MRI scan then fine neddle aspiration of the lesion to know the characteristics of the lesion. If an investigation called bronchoscopy( a scope to visualise lungs ) is needed then supplemental oxygen would be required to maintain the oxygen level in the blood . Thoracotomy surgery would be planned if there is no spread of cancer to other parts of the body . Prognosis is uncertain .