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Kidney Cancer, Bronchiectasis. Pain In Arm,middle Chest. X-ray Showed White Shadow Near Flail Chest. Help?
Hi my husband was diagnosed with cancer in his kidney 8.5cm . He has been to hospital because this caused a dvt in his leg, a large saddle p.e. a massive one in both his lungs and several small ones in both lungs.....He is home and resting but in himself ok..He has just done a fitness test that puts him at high risk..He has bronchiectas, and a flail chest, due to coughing due to an infection earlier this year, 8 breaks in 6 ribs.... he is due to have the kidney removed in the next couple of weeks... a C.T scan done 4 weeks ago showed the kidney cancer, but doc said there did not seem any secondary cancers.... 48 hours ago he had pain in his jaw upper arm and left and middle chest.. called an ambulance...hospital said aftere.c.g. not a heart attack... they did an x ray.. said white shadow near flail ches..said didnt know what it was, but put him on antibiotics and sent him home the following day with adischarge saying its pnumonia ???..did bloods etc no temperature. No cough etc..... my question could the cancer have spread to the lungs...husband used to smoke gave up 10 years ago, he, s 68.....thank you
posted on
Wed, 23 Oct 2013
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Wed, 23 Oct 2013
Answered on
Wed, 23 Oct 2013
Last reviewed on
Hi,
Thanks for writing in.
Sorry to hear about your husband's condition.
It is very much possible that the white patch in his lungs indicate pneumonia which is an infection. Spread to cancer may occur but due to the pattern of symptoms he has presented with recently, a lung infection looks more likely. If the antibiotics do not show any improvement he may need to take another X ray. The history of PE is also significant in the presence if flail chest and bronchiectasis in causing pneumonia.
Hope this helps
Thanks for writing in.
Sorry to hear about your husband's condition.
It is very much possible that the white patch in his lungs indicate pneumonia which is an infection. Spread to cancer may occur but due to the pattern of symptoms he has presented with recently, a lung infection looks more likely. If the antibiotics do not show any improvement he may need to take another X ray. The history of PE is also significant in the presence if flail chest and bronchiectasis in causing pneumonia.
Hope this helps
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