stage 2b adenocarcinoma questions

• By MarionW
• Posted August 14, 2008 at 11:30 pm
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I had a total right lung removal for what was thought to be stage 1a and turned out to be 3a in 4/07. They did feel that they got the whole tumor and 1 lymph node that the tumor grew into and "cleared the margins". Radiation was not deemed needed as there was nothing to radiate and chemo was not pushed as it really does not improve prognosis significantly ( they told me possibly 8-15% improved chances of 5 year survival). Maybe. If they got it all I couldn't see why I would subject myself to chemo "in case" there might be other cells out there.

Also, my surgery was major and I didn't feel I could tolerate chemo without seriously jeopardizing my recovery from that. Every one makes their own decision. My oncologist said they didn't even offer the chemo for my stage 5 years ago as they couldn't justify it by the outcomes.

So far I am doing fine and enjoying life- hope to do so for a long, long time, God grace.

Take care and warm thoughts.

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• By biker90
• Posted August 15, 2008 at 12:51 am
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I had a 2.3 cm tumor and 1 of 13 local lymph nodes involved and had my right upper lobe removed. Stage IIA. My oncologist said that my chance of recurrance without further treatment was 55% and that chance went down to 35% with chemo. I chose to have chemo and will start in September.

Good luck to you and David...

Jim

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• By texatl
• Posted August 15, 2008 at 2:10 am
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I'm assuming that the nodes that were involved where still in the lung? I was staged at 2b, but I had my chemo before surgery. I wasn't happy at the time because foremost in my mind was "get this thing out of me". My tumor was the size of a baseball, and I was disappointed when the surgeon said chemo should come first.

But now having gone through a tough surgery, I'm glad that I had the chemo first because I don't think I could coast through as I did before surgery, and most importantly, my margins and all nodes were free of cancer.

Since they found cancer still present (and as my surgeon told me)surgery is not a 100% sure thing, I would think it is in your husband's best interest to have chemo. If he was 1b then I could see not doing chemo, but not 2b which means at a minimum the cancer has reached a delivery system in the lymph nodes.

Perhaps with time, after the pain from surgery lessens, and lung capacity improves, he'll change his mind. I think he has a window of like 4-8 weeks to start so hang in there.

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• By dands
• Posted August 15, 2008 at 7:38 am
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Thankyou Marion,Biker and Texatl for your input. He is past the time where he can change his decision and go for the chemo. I know it was his decison to make, and second guessing that decison is a waste of time. I hope and pray it does not come back to haunt him. We were shocked to hear from our oncologist that his time spent in the navy during the vietnam war, the fact that he grew up in the midwest in a farming community and his profession of 30 years in toxic waste cleanup were more likely to have caused his cancer then the fact that he smoked. Too bad the facts are not out there for everyone to hear. Not sure it would change things for anyone else but it is worth the knowledge. David says he is a fortunate man to have lived 59 years with good health, compared to so many others, especially children who have not. If he has to leave this world sooner then he had hoped, he wants to enjoy the time he has left without the toxic effects and illness that goes along with chemo. His heart doc told him chemo for his stage is a 50% cancer cell killer,50% healthy cell killer. He figures 5 to 15 % better chance of survival isn't worth it. God Bless You All and i pray you live long and healthy and happy lives.

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