Already a member? Sign in
What - Inspire is a place where you can connect with people who share your health concerns and find information and advice in groups sponsored by organizations you know and trust.
Why - As a member you can use Inspire to let friends and family know how you're doing, contact others who share your health concerns, receive personalized updates and information about participating in surveys and clinical trials, and more.
How - Joining Inspire is completely free and usually takes less than a minute. Join now!
what is the survival rate for STAGE 1 LUNG CANCER? I had the entire lobe removed including surrounding lymph nodes.....no treatment recommended...I worry so much about it coming back, but being so small I have heard chances are good it won't return......Is this true or false?
D.J.
Anxiety Exercise Cancer Surgery Pain Tarceva Back pain Lung cancer Stress
Hi Dj
You have the right to worry. And it is hard not to worry no mater what people tell you.
It is always on your mind .
But you had the best cure I know . SURGERY.
Hope your worries can be put behind you .
You got the worst over .
Bless ya lotsa
Greg
Thank you Greg......
Seems like this is on my mind all the time.
Do you have lung cancer also? I know the Dr. told me that I was very lucky it was operable. It was about the size of a pinto bean and totally contained. Lots of lymph nodes were also tested. Are there changes of survival rates with this beast?
D.J.
Hi Dj
No one tells God when our turn is .
But From what you have told me . Stage 1 with the surgery you had I think you will be kickin dirt in a lot of peoples Face.
Bless ya
Greg
Thanks Greg...............
Are you also a Cancer Survivor?
D.J.
I think the good thing for you with finding it so early is the early detection triggers more and more CT scans every so often, if they are not doing them on a routine basis make it a routine basis, find a doctor who will. This is my advice to you. If it can be caught each time they crop up, and are small you will outlive this, and will be around for when this cure does come out. So I think you are in the best hands you can be in right now, but don't let it get by you. Get tested at least every 6 months. if possible more than that. Maybe a ct scan and follow by and chest x ray in 3 months then another Ct scan. I would see what the oncologist has in store as far as monitoring this for you. If you only have a pulmonologist and a surgeon, I also suggest getting a good oncologist for monitoring your condition, they are more in tune to the latest advances..
God bless Sandy
I would say you had the best possible treatment (surgery) and the best possible outcome, NO lymph node involvement. I remember when my husband was diagnosed, 9 years ago he was Stage 2B with 3 out of 10 lymph nodes involved. They told him he had a 5-10 percent chance that his cancer wouldn't return and unfortunately he fell into the other 90-95% and it did return 3 years later. Those stats may be different today for cancer patients but again, you have NO node involvement and thats so awesome!!! Good luck!
Hi, if you're worried about it returning, check out this site. It might put your mind at ease. Good luck and take care, JC
http://www.oncimmune.com/
I was operated on using the VATS procedures (and the Davinci surgical robot). I checked around and found several studies that looked at the survival rate for those of us lucky enough to be staged 1a and have the surgery done wihtin one month of diagnosis. The five-year cancer-free survival rate was 90%. I also came across a study that indicated there was a 1-2% chance of either recurrence or a new primary each year and that this risk is cumulative. That means that in 40-50 years I will, most likely (better than 50% chance) have either a recueence or a new primary. So I'm definitely going to be in trouble on my 100th birthday. I guess I'll have to live with that!
Courage
Chum
I was Stage 1A non-small cell, size of a grain of rice. Operated on January 2001. Had lower left lobe removed. I left hospital four days later and haven't looked back. Have yearly check-ups. I feel fabulous and am enjoying life to the utmost.
I also had great anxiety about reoccurred, etc., but Stage 1 puts you amongst the most fortunate people on the face of the earth.
God Bless you.
Hi D.J.
Unfortunately, I am one of the unlucky ones. I'm not here to discourage you but back in April, I was diagnosed with stage 1a. Had my LLL removed with 15 lymph nodes that came back clear. I was told that there was only a 10 to 20% chance that it would ever come back and if it didn't come back in 2 or 3 yrs., it never will. Well, just 4 months later, I had a CT done and they found something in my upper left lobe, so I did a pet scan and sure enough I have a recurrence. It spread to a lymph node. I personally don't think they got it all during my surgery but there is no way of me proving that now. I am now going to MD Anderson. I had my surgery done at a local hospital which I feel now was a big mistake. They also told me no chemo which I wish now I would have insisted on back then just to make for sure of any strays running around. I am now on chemo. I just had my 2nd round Monday. Now I go for a Pet/CT scan on Oct. 27th to see if it has shrunk. If so, they are talking about removing the rest of my left lung. I am not looking forward to that. I'm having a hard time coming to grips with the fact of only having one lung. I'm not meaning to scare you, but it does happen. Just stay on top of your scans every three months. Also, have you changed your diet any? I have now quit red meats, processed meats, "refined sugars" and have added more fruits and veggies to my diet( have a juicer). I am also taking a lot my supplements and vitamins.
I hope this can help. Take care and keep in touch. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Karen
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR STORIES.....AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL
D.J.
You are in the no sweat zone. Congratulations! My tumor was 9 CM and invading my central chest and inoperable and I just celebrated my 2 year anniversary since diagnosis. I am hoping against the odds that I am cured and I am not going to worry about it. You shouldn't either, but take a lesson and don't waste your time or your life. Go forth and do good for others!
PLEASE TRY AND NOT WORRY, YES YOU ARE ONE LUCKY ONE TO BE ABLE TO CATCH THIS CANCER AT SUCH A LOW STAGE. Try and relax and enjoy life and be so very thankful, for you are really blessed to have caught this as a Stage 1. Take care, God Bless, Karen
I also had stage 1A cancer and had surgery to remove my right upper lobe. No other involvement was seen. I am said to be "cancer free" It has been 1 year and 9 months, I still worry that it will return. I still have pains that come and go. I still have some problems with breathing, I am bothered by alot of different smells. I wear oxygen at night, 2 liters.
I was dx 1a in Aug. 2001; had upper right lobe surgery & had no lymph involved. It was squamous, 2 cm. I had no chemo just 6-mo CT scans, am now on yearly scans going into my 9th year.
We who are dx early enough for surgery are very, very lucky, I didn't realize just how lucky until it was all over & I had time to research.
I decided getting anxious about upcoming scans would not change what already was (or wasn't), and so didn't waste any time worrying when I could be enjoying my newly appreciated time alive.
So far, not worrying has worked for me -
Hi DJ,
I too had surgery for stage Ia NSCLC January, 2009. I had the left lower lobe removed. It was very small - less than 2cm. There was no lymph node involvement and my surgeon took lots and lots of tissue for pathology. The oncologist told me that the chance of recurrence rate was about 20%. I have scans every six months. My last scan was 9/28 and no evidence of disease (hurray). I go back in March.
We are the luckiest of all having had it caught so early. However, there is always the chance it might come back. At my last appt, the doc told me to be aware of any pain anywhere in my body (organ, bone, etc.) that does not go away. I guess that could mean it might have popped up somewhere else.
In the meantime, I am happy with each day I am alive and celebrating it with my dog Izzy :)
Hang in there! This is a fabulous support group as you will see and they are all fighting the good fight.
Hugs.
Phyllis
Hi DJ,
My husband had ULL removed Oct 28, 08. We go through the same thing. He is going for his year scan on Oct 28 exactly one year later. Has had scans and xrays in between. No, we never know, he was 1A also, no further treatments. Now he has had back pain and I was finally able to convince him to go to the Dr Mon and ask for an MRI. One thing someone said was their Dr told them if something continues get it checked. That would have been nice to be told that. If it weren't for this site I would be a mess. Stick with us...lots of really, really good advice. My best to you. You are lucky as we were. Just keep on it and enjoy life!! Kathy
My husband's oncologist told us, "Once you have cancer you will always have cancer." I think he meant that no one knows what caused the bodies cells to mutate and grow out of control. Most abnormal cells are killed by the immune system, but in my husbands case he had just experienced a period of major, long term stress that might have supressed his immune system. Maybe the doctor was only talking about us, but in all the research I've done since diagnosis, I wouldn't let up on this disease for a minute. Most lung cancers metastasize and they can metastasize very early in the process. It's been suggested that removing the primary tumor can trigger the very small micro tumors to begin growing at different sites. If it were me I would research Naturopathic and Herbal supplements to strengthen my immune system, make permanent nutritional and exercise life style changes get regular follow-up scans and labs. Don't worry, but keep vigilant.
It sounds like you caught it early and you will be okay. I also had nsclc with some warm lymph nodes, this past August and they removed them, just in case which turned to be benign. My doctors have set me up with an ocologist for further testing. He said just to be safe but they did not feel they would find anything. They were all very positive and told me that I could either sit and worry or enjoy my life and my great grandbaby. So I decide I would hand it over to God and the doctors and enjoy my dogs and family. I am only 71 and have a lot of life in me yet. Outside of rib pain still I am doing real good, Stay active and feel positive. God Bless
Yes you can live a long life it looks like.My scan time is coming up.I am stage 1a and so had surgery.I did h ave poorly differentiated cells.I would have had chemo but had complications so did't on oncs recommendation.Just watch ful waiting.I am losing weight on purpose,had a mammogram,and will get some moles taken off.Heart is improved,COPD iffy.Figure nobody likely to have statistics on me anyway.I just went back to work.Just believe that the recent studies that show 90% with or without chemo for follow up statistically might be right and keep your follow ups.Warmest wishes AndiB
Add to the discussion