0 Recommendations
My dad was just diagnosed with Stage 1. He has a 3-5 cm tumor between his upper and middle lobe of his rt. lung. He has COPD and can't have surgery. Any success stories with treatment other than surgery?
My dad was just diagnosed with Stage 1. He has a 3-5 cm tumor between his upper and middle lobe of his rt. lung. He has COPD and can't have surgery. Any success stories with treatment other than surgery?
Yes, there is good news. Dx is only stage 1. There are no mets. Under the circumstances of being here with this at all, that is very, very good.
Yes, our doctor said they are even curing some 3b which is to say inoperable stage 3, so if that's the case then stage 1 should be curable too.
You are very lucky to be at Stage I - it will be much easier to treat with a good outcome. I was 3B, inoperable, had chemo with radiation, then the next year more radiation, then 2 months of Tarceva and just recently finished 6 cycles of chemo (Alimta). I have never had any remission but am a four year survivor.
Sylvia
WOW thanks everyone. I am very new to this and quite overwhelmed. Rad Onc didn't give much hope so we are going to a cancer center and see if there are any other options.
I am 3 1/2 yrs. out from diagnosis.....same scenario--inoperable due to severe COPD/emphysema. First dx. and chemo and rad treatment was for limited stage SCLC, and then they thought maybe it was NSCLC, so a short round of chemo for that....so far, NED!!!
Not nearly as bad as I had anticipated. I'm a nurse, but had been doing occupational health for 25 yrs. so was out of the loop on hospital stuff...I went into treatment--at my daughters' insistence--(I wasn't going to do anything) based on my old knowledge. I won't say it was a piece of cake, but it was tolerable. The fatigue was the worst. Very little nausea because of the great meds they now use. No vomiting except when I took cold medicine or pain med (for my chronic back pain) on an empty stomach. Constipation was sometimes a problem, but starting taking stool softener and that was ok. Some severe esophageal reflux during radiation, but again meds took care of it.
The hair loss was not too traumatic except that I HATE having anything on my head, so hated wigs and hats! Some severe peripheral neuropathy in arms/hands/feet/legs, but again med helped alot.
And my appetite was humongous, even if some things had little to no flavor. I gained 15# in 6 mos. I wasn't happy about that, but doc didn't mind until after the fact and has stayed on me to lose....I've lost 10 of it!
Would I go through it again? Sure, if I could get these results!!!
Thanks robinwd, can I ask how old you are. My dad was active (working in the yard, trimming trees, rototilling(sp) the garden until this pneumonia hit. Now he is so weak and frail I am afraid he won't be able to handle treatment. I don't think he can loose any more weight.
It is so great you are doing well...at least I know it can be done!
I'm 59 now...almost 56 when diagnosed. Was still working...bad bronchitis after flu (no vaccine available that winter)...sent for chest x-ray to rule out pneumonia and they found "it"---everything happens for a reason, as they say! If I hadn't gotten the flu, who knows when it would have been found, cause I didn't have any symptoms. How old is your dad?
My dad is 78. As I said until he got sick he was active...yard work, shovels snow in the winter etc. Now he is so thin and frail.
Hi, I had all the same problems, Did chemo weekly for 10 months and radiation daily for around 2 months that was all in August 05--so far so good and I have not been on any treatments since. If it should come back the doctor says we will just treat it with one of the many new drugs that are out there. Beside that I eat right and pray a lot for all if us. Also, for a cure!
Sandy
Has everyone overlooked some facts here; almost by definition, stage 1 is operable. They likely do not want to operate because he has COPD.
I would look into cyberknife. It is for people for whom surgery is not recommended. You Dad might be just the type they are looking for.
scared1 my Mother was late 60's when diagnosed the same way, she is also COPD and the tumour devloped in the better of the two lungs hence they claim it to be inoperable.
Mum underwent 30 bouts of radiation and had been very lethargic / tired throughout - She was lucky as her diagnosis was due to a bout of pneumonia, her original tumour was around the same size you mentioned.
The oncologist was rather morbid and very shocked that Mum is now 5 years out from her first dx. Doctors rarely have a good bedside manner from what we have experienced but remember they are also not always right - Keep the faith
COPD is something coupled with this that makes our loved ones lethargic, the body cures in rest mode so keep the faith that this is to be in your Dads case.
Add to the discussion