Teratoma

[Already Bald]

I'm coming off of my second week of EP, I'm tired all the time and feel like my head's in a fog. I went in for my Nuelasta shot on Monday, and the Nurse Practioner was concered that I have not had enough fluids to flush out the kidneys. I had trouble drinking over the weekend because of the sick feeling in my stomach... Her riot act worked though, I drank about a gallon when I got home, and have been peeing clear since. She also gave me percs for the bone pain.
My original tumor had 30% Mature Teratoma, and I had a needle biopsy of my lung tumor last month. That confirmed the nodule was germ cell, but no details on the exact make up. I guess they either didn't get enough tissue for Path to get a more accurate diagnoses, or whatever. So my Doc does not know if I have Teratoma in my lung...
This is something that bothers me-
Did anyone have this situation at the start of chemo?
And did you have the surgery afterwards to remove Teratoma- how was that?

PS: My wife was diagnosed with a Desmoid Sarcoma tumor in August, so right after I recoverd from RPLND, she went in for surgery (In her belly), and now she is in radiation and may lose an ovary. What are the chances that we both lose an organ this year?? Must be Love!

[Vinny]

I was in a similar situation, but I had chemo first then the RPLND in 2005, then lung surgery in 2006. In retrospect, we could see the lung lesion on CT during chemo but because it wasn't growing at the time. When it started to grow it came out. It was teratoma.

The lung surgery was a video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) wedge resection done with a thoracoscope. Piece of cake compared to the RPLND, I only have three small (3-4 cm) incisions for the thoracoscope ports. I went home after 2 nights in the hospital. There is a possibility when going in for a thoracoscopy that it may have to be converted to a full-blown thoracotomy, which means a larger incision and longer hospital stay.

It's easier to find surgeons with VATS/thoracoscopy experience than RPLND experience.

[Lori]

My husband had immature teratoma throughout his lymph node system in stomach, chest and neck. Not in his lungs. We went to IU for the surgeries - Dr. Kessler is a thoracic surgeon and is awesome. He had to crack my husband's sternum and basically scrap everything in Jon to remove a very large teratoma tumor. But Jon is doing great now. Teratoma is very slow growing, but it does need to be removed.

Good Luck

[Already Bald]

Thanks for your replies.
I had my RPLND done by Sheinfeld in Sloan-Kettering, but I live outside of Philly, so my chemo is by Dr. Vaughn at PENN. And I'm changing health insurence in January, will no longer be covered at Sloan- so I'll have any surgeries done at PENN.
Vinny, with your lung issue- did you have a pneumothorax and need a chest tube inserted??

[Vinny]

Vinny, with your lung issue- did you have a pneumothorax and need a chest tube inserted??

Nope, they just deflated the lung they were working on and inserted a drain tube into the chest cavity (I forgot about that, I actually have 4 scars from the thoracoscopy - the drain tube scar is only about 1/2 cm).