Surviving Lung Cancer without Chemo or Radiation

I am a Lung Cancer Survivor. on October 11th, I will be celebrating Seven years of being a Survivor. Not, everyone, would agree, with my decision to not have
either or both Chemo, and Radiation.
Unfortunately, I lost Three friends to Lung Cancer.
They all chose to have both Chemo, and Radiation.
They are no longer here to enjoy whatever they could
have had with Quality, not Quanity of life.

I lost both my parents to Cancer. It runs in my family.
My mother, died of Luekemia, after going through an
experimental Drug. She Had Three quality months of
life. The last Three were painful to watch.
My father, died of pancreatic Cancer,in Six weeks of
finding out he had it. The changes that took place in
Six weeks, were horrifying to see.
I chose to live with Quality, rather than Quanity.
I would look forward to hearing from other people, what their thoughts are about Quality versus Quanity.
I am not saying that what I chose is right for you, but, it right for me.
If I were, to get Cancer again anywhere , my choice would still be the same.

By regapi
Posted October 4, 2008 at 10:38 pm
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Hi: I admire you!!!, I am sorry about your parents, How old are you? I have adenocarcinoma stage IV, I been in two diferente kind of quimotherapy, the first medicine was terrible,then I have a cirgury in the lung, couldnt take off everything, right now I am in treatment is my third quimo with taxotere I feel great, I am still working but I think what you are doing is very smart, if my quality of life change I will stop doing this, what kind of cancer do you have? I am interesting to hear about, you because I really think to have quality of life is most important than have quantity. In 3 weeks I´ll have a TAC and if the thing doesnt change I am planning to stop.
Sorry about my english I am from El Salvador, I have trouble writting, Good Luck to you.
Regina

By vh
Posted October 5, 2008 at 12:10 am
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Congratulations! Could you share what "stage" you were diagnosed. I would assume early. And also share with us what treatments/lifestyle changes you credit your great success to!

As for Quantity vs Quality...I think that depends on the person....for a young mom....they may prefer quantity ....depending on how less the quality is! I am not convinced that traditional treatments offer quality or quantity and that needs to be changed!!!! Seems like it varies by person a great deal.

By MarionW
Posted October 5, 2008 at 12:20 am
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I also chose no chemo after having my entire right lung removed. I didn't want chemo and I was much too debilitated to withstand it anyway after surgery. The % of improvement in life span if I had it was not nearly as much as the percentage of chance chemo would hurt my surgery and recovery. I am an RN and have never gotten that you put poison into your system and hope it kills the bad cells while it kills the good ones. We need something better than that to offer to people after all these years and money that has been poured into research.

I had my surgery on 4/24/07 and have been healthy and recovering well since then. I have the same terror we all have at scan time or if anything unusual happens - aches pains etc, but I have not regretted my decision. It was easy for me though since I couldn't have stood it physically anyway.

So glad to hear someone who has survived so long. If they really got it all- as they told me they did, it shouldn't come back. My PET, CT and lung scans before the surgery all showed no cancer anywhere but at the tumor.

Here's hoping we all live happy long healthy lives! But I always acknowledge that each day is a gift no matter if you've had cancer or not.

By sandy45
Posted October 5, 2008 at 3:12 am
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Hi, years,,,that is super!!! Are you controlling it with diet? My Father was a firm believer that diet could cure or control almost any disease. My experience has been the opposite. I have 2 friends who chose to dp nothing and they passed away within around a year. I did chemo and radiation and the cancer went into remission for 3 year. I do find it very interesting, especially now that I am starting at square one again

Thanks much
Sandy

By dands
Posted October 5, 2008 at 6:37 am
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That is wonderful that you are doing so well with your choice. My husband had his upper left lobe removed last april, stage 2b. He also chose not to have chemo or rad. He watched his sisters quality go downhill rapidly after she had both a few years ago. So he chose quality over possible quantity. The onc told him chemo would raise his chances about 10 to 15% to survive more than a year. He didn't believe anyone knows for sure how long they will live with or without further treatment. So far so good, clean scan after 4 months. What stage was your cancer? I think when the lc gets beyond its orginal site your odds are possibly better with further treatment, from what i have heard here. Best wishes for many more quality years.

By MARIET
Posted October 5, 2008 at 7:43 am
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I am a 3 year survivor,NCSLC stage 4 Adenal carcinoma, no rad or surgery. Given 6 - 12 months because of extensive involment. Chemo only from Feb 06 till Dec 07 when I called a stop. Couldn't take anymore. I wanted a quality of life. It was a hard decision. I have been off chemo for 11 months and feel great. My tumors are growing slowly and we monitor the progression with ct and pet scans. I have a quality of life . I may start a fifth line of treatment if and when the tumors interfere with breathing or I start having pysical difficulties. Till then I live, love and laugh. Marie

By peyz33
Posted October 5, 2008 at 8:47 am
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I am at a loss to respond - either you are VERY lucky or GOD has his hand on your shoulder - I was too scared not to have the chemo after surgery - I am a newbie to this only 2 clean scans since treatment - I hope that I live another 20 years or more - and quality is by far my choice - I wanted to make sure I had the time to enjoy it...
Karen

BUT kudoos to you!!!

By jim_wny
Posted October 5, 2008 at 9:15 am
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Very curious as to what stage you were diagnosed at
I was staged as 1A so no chemo or radiation was considered. I am now getting closer to the 1 year mark (lobectomy on dec 11th 07 ) and hoping for many more

Congratulations on 7 yrs of being cancer free, hope you continue that way

Jim

By sinecure
Posted October 5, 2008 at 10:04 am
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I had one of my left lobes removed about 1 month ago . Going for my first check up this week. I think I had Stage 1A. I'm 74 years and have 11 grandchildren ranging from 13mo's to 18 . My wife was great and gave me outstanding care of me during the operation and afterwoods.What hurt was the look on the faces of my children and grandchildren when they came to visit.The younger grandchild had that look on their face saying 'this is not my Grandfather who chases me around, this is just an old man", I have decided that QUALITY OF LIFE is the most important not Quantity of Life. If the Dr's suggest I take Chemo or Radiation or if Cancer has returned, I am going to say no treatment just enough Pain killers to survive to the end. Why should I make my wife life a living hell taking care of me when all I may extend life by a few months with no QUALITY.

By Bonkie
Posted October 5, 2008 at 10:28 am
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To All that Replied,
I had stage 2 Cancer. It was found by accident. I had a Lump on the right side of my neck. It was Labor Day weekend, 20001. My husband immediatly took me to the Emergency room of our local hospital. My own Doctor was on vacation. The Physician, that I saw. said that I would need a needle biopsy, on the lump.
He then said, while I was there, I should have an X-ray,
of my chest. When, he saw it, something showed up on it. He then, had me get a CT scan of my chest. When he saw it, their was definitely something there.
He referred me back to my Pulmonary Doctor. My
Dr., then had me see a Surgeon. He, said after looking. at everything, that I needed to have Surgery,
to find out what was there. I then said, if it showed up to be Cancer, I do not want Chemo, or Radiation. I then, had a Biopsy, done while I was in the Operating
room. I t, was positive. I had a Lobectomy, of my right
Upper Lung.
I was shocked to wake up to find part of my right Lung
gone. In myown mind, I thought, nothing would be done. I figured the Biopsy would be fine. What a miserable surprise to wake up, in Intensive care.
I never, saw an Oncologist, by choice. I saw my Pulmonary Dr. and again said no to Chemo, or Radiation.
I did have a Needle Biopsy, done on my lump, on my neck. It really hurt, but it turned up to be, a Stone in
my Salivary gland. I now go every six months for a
Ct scan of my chest. So, far, and grateful to be alive,
nothing, has changed. I truly have been blessed.
I also, had Endometrium Cancer, in June of 1994. I had
a full Hysterectomy at that time.
I am 61 young years, and I do have Emphysema, and take medication for it. I also, go for a Mamogram,every
year, because, my mother had it and had 2 radical
mastectomies, 7 years, before she died of Luekemia.

I am very lucky, that both of my Cancer's where found
by accident. I truly, am blessed, and hope to continue
staying alive, with Quality, not Quantity.

By gpawelski
Posted October 5, 2008 at 10:30 am
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A 2cm lung mass (T1 tumor) with negative regional and mediastinal nodes. Not a biologically aggressive tumor. With that alone, you'd have about 60% chance of having been cured by surgery alone.

Most of us think of cancer as a deadly disease if left untreated. But there are microscopic cancers that will never cause us problems. We all have abnormal cells, but most of us will not die from cancer. Pseudodisease is most common in prostate and breast cancer, and is an issue for kidney cancer, melanoma and lung cancer.

When cancer is looked for early, a wide net is cast for both real and pseudodisease. Since we can't tell which is which, we treat it all. And for those who never needed treatment, treatment can only hurt.

That's why they've developed a genomic test - Lung Metagene Predictor - to help find out if a cancer patient is "low" risk or "high" risk at getting a recurrence after surgery. If they are at "low" risk, they do not need to be unnecessarily exposed to toxic chemotherapy cocktails.

If the test finds a patients to be at "high" risk, one can try either "trial-and-error" treatment, or test their tumor first to see what treatments will not have the best opportunity of being successful (resistant) and identify drugs that have the best opportunity of being successful (sensitive).

http://www.dukehealth.org/HealthLibrary/News/9835

By Bonkie
Posted October 5, 2008 at 10:39 am
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To tell you, that if it had not been found, I would not be here today. It was in my nodes, and were very agressive. My Doctor, said, I was very lucky, that it was found before it grew any bigger. I hope that, this
will be the last of me, having Cancer.

By elikat
Posted October 5, 2008 at 10:52 am
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I agree, I am very much against chemo but this is decision that nobody can make for you. I tried to convince my husband to decide against it but he had different opinion. Now he said he was wrong. He said no to 4th chemo. I also think they fried his lung. He didn't have any breathing problem before all those treatments.
You made right decision! Good luck!

By Bonkie
Posted October 5, 2008 at 10:57 am
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To elikat,

I appreciate, that not all people might disagree with us. Again, I will say, that everyone has to make their
own decision, on what to do. It's there body, and they
have to choose,what's right for them.

By summeron2001
Posted October 5, 2008 at 1:09 pm
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Congratulations to you on 7 years! I am so happy for you. I have to say if I was fortunate enough to have been able to have surgery and at your stage I would not have accepted chemo or radiation either. I have just finished 4th line chemo and they say they don't have anything else to offer and I do not think I will accept any more chemo even if they had anything as obviously it has not worked. Good for you for making a decision and sticking to it!

By poncho
Posted October 5, 2008 at 3:21 pm
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Bonkie,

In 2004 was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Had it surgically removed, no chemo and or radiation. In July of 2007 had my upper left lobe removed as a result of lung cancer. The tumor was poorly differentiated and minimum marginal and that is why my oncologist recommeded chemo even though I was staged at 1A. I elected not to do chemo.

I get intraveneous Vitamin C treatments from my alternative doctor. After my lobectomy, I was getting the Vitamin C treatments every week for a few months, then every other week, then every three weeks and now I am getting them only once a month. Next week getting a CT of my abdomen due to some blood markers being high, such as pancreas, liver and kidney. Next PET is scheduled on October 30. I was getting a CT and PET scan every three months and now it will be every four months.

Wishing you to continue to be NED.

God Bless,

Frank

By stephanie410
Posted October 5, 2008 at 10:38 pm
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Wow! What strength! I think the right answer is an individual one. When you are 40 with two kids under the age of 6, you need quantity, and I'm ready to do anything I can to get it. There may come a point when I say enough is enough, but only after I've done everything possible.

Obviously your choice brings you peace, which is the best you can hope for!

Keep on keepin' on.

--Stephanie

By JustLisa
Posted October 6, 2008 at 10:10 am
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Congradulations.. on your 7 year marker.. heres to 70 more!
our life our choice.. I know my grandma in law had brest cancer over 7 years ago she had a masotomy and choose no chemo or radiation due to the fact she had to work.. she is cancer free and going strong at 67 today.. so everyone is different.. may you be cancer free forever//

God Bless
Lisa

By Cody
Posted October 7, 2008 at 6:39 pm
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My husband has stopped Chemo treatments. He will have 3 month follow-ups with the oncologist along with CT PET scan. Will someone tell me about Wholistic approach. What is it? Where do I learn about it? He decided that at 75, he prefers quality of life above anything else. I don't know what I would have chosen and unless we have been there I don't think anyone else does either.

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