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Newly diagnosed Lung cancer -trying to get to an accurate diagnosis?
Lung Cancer | Last Active: May 29, 2018 | Replies (26)Comment receiving replies
We are now at about a 70% diagnosis of Lung Cancer with more pathology and tests to come. The last biopsy of the lymph node came back inconclusive but they have pretty much ruled out upper GI cancer and Kidney Cancer. Our diagnosis to date is Stage 3 Lung Cancer with a small tumor in the right middle lobe and one active subcarnial lymph node. The options presented early on here for treatment is radiation and chemotherapy. He (and I) are both worried about the side effects and intensity of the chemotherapy (we've seen this at it's worst with my sister's Stage 4 Lung Cancer treatment 8 years ago). The oncologists say that the primary symptom of the treatment would be extreme fatigue and that they can manage the related stomach symptoms (the nausea and diarrhea). What has been everyone's experience if that's the option we will have for treatment? My husband is very hesitant to do the chemo and that would give him maybe 1-2 years where treatment may increase that up to 5 years or more. I'd love to get some 'real, on the ground' feedback from patients who have experienced this recently. They say they have made some progress improving the side effects symptoms since I cared for my sister 8 years ago.....it was pretty grueling for her. Thank you!
Replies to "We are now at about a 70% diagnosis of Lung Cancer with more pathology and tests..."
Hi Cindy-
Thank you for the update.
Are they recommending chemo, etc. before they even know for certain that it is cancer?
Sorry to be so direct, but if that is the case my recommendation is that you get to a cancer clinic...weather it be Mayo or whoever!
There are two types of lung cancer...Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) and Small Cell Lung Cancer. Two distinctly different cancers. NSCLC is very slow growing (putzy) and very hard to detect with any scans, etc.
My wife had gone through 18 months of trial and error treatment and many bronchoscope biopsies, an unnecessary surgery, and finally we were told it could “possibly be an adnocarrcinoma”.
We were sent to a thoracic surgeon who wasn’t sure it was a cancer, but wanted to remove the lower third of her right lung. That’s when we called a timeout, packed up her records and sent them to Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
Within 48 hours we were notified that she had lung cancer and we needed to get there so they could operate! A week later, the doctor removed 2/3 of her lung.
That was our experience, three years ago...she had stage 3 NSCLC...we opted for the chemo, and later were glad we did, because after the cancer had metastasized to her left lung, she qualified for a clinical trial which has her enjoying a great quality of life.
So, in our opinion the chemo therapy was rough but had she not opted for it she would likely have not made it.
Trust what Linda Wortman says...”get the proper diagnosis”...don’t continue with the local physicians if they are puzzled by their findings. And, yes attitude is 50% of surviving!
Hope this helps with your decisions and you find the proper path for your husband.
You and your husband are in our thoughts and prayers!
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There is no doubt this is respectfully a sensitive matter when diagnosed with lung cancer.
My proper diagnosis and treatment was at Mayo Clinic. I trust my life in their hands.
At my 10 year celebration of being gratefully alive, one of my doctors who is also a leading lung cancer researcher held up the recent New England Journal of Medicine and said, “Unlike 10 years ago there are now 1100 therapies for lung cancer!”
I will never forget the two years “proceeding my proper diagnosis” when local small town physicians thought I had asthma, not lung cancer!
If you are confident in your treatment center and physicians and they recognize the importance of new therapies and the amazing lung cancer treatments discovered in the last few years, think
about your quality of life. I continue to see many people are living with cancer for years.
I would personally ask every question regarding diagnosis and treatment and proceed. Resiliency is remembering to enjoy life everyday. Many of my physicians have told me “Attitude is 50% of surviving”!
All my best. Let’s stay connected. You both are in my thoughts.
hugs