recently diagnosed non small cell lung cancer stage 3b

I am at Mayo this week for a second opinion. Surgery is not an option. Dr. Lou agreed with my oncologist in St Louis, MO

Hello...........I wish I could give you more information but I can share that my husband has been undergoing tests and scans for 9 months now for a cancer of 'unknown primary' or a cancer that can't quite identify. However, the only tumor he has is in his lung and as of his last visit to the oncologist they are leaning toward lung cancer (same type and stage as yours). He is not a candidate for surgery due to COPD and the protocol (If it is a lung cancer) is the same as the protocol you received. My husband is 65. My husband has refused chemo and we are on a wait and watch approach right now. However, we are looking into a type of radiation called either SBRT or Cyberknife. I don't know if that might be a possibility for your lung tumor? That would be followed by radiation to the lymph nodes. We still on the fence so I can't share any reactions to treatment. Hugs to you. It's a very difficult choice. As we progress in my husband's care I will share if it might be helpful for you. Oddly, my husband's tumor and the overall activity of the lymph nodes has been shrinking.....we attribute this (as do our doctors) to the use of CBD and THC therapy with medical marijuana. It has also helped my husband with anxiety and the pain he has always experienced with peripheral neuropathy.

After being diagnosed with small cell lung cancer last spring I received 50 sessions of radiation & 18 chemo therapies. The last CT scan showed the small tumor was reduced by half & the 1 positive node is no longer showing cancer. Now will receive brain radiation as a preventive.

I am 79, diagnosed with small cell lung cancer 3a. Finished chemo/radiation treatments last week. Main side effects were fatigue & hair loss. I never had nausea, only metallic taste for a few days after each chemo session. I was not offered immunotherapy.

Hello @sderbin

I am sorry to hear of your difficulty in finding treatment for your lung cancer. I can understand your uncertainty and concerns about all of the different treatment options. At Connect, we have a discussion group where you might find some more support, "Talking Frankly About Living with Advanced Cancer." There are many members there who discuss lung cancer treatments and immunotherapy.

Here is the link to those discussions.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/talking-frankly-about-living-with-advanced-cancer/

I would encourage you to read through them and then feel free to post your question to anyone in that group. You can just click on "Reply" if you see a post where you would like more information.

I hope you find the best treatment. Will you post again and let me know how you are doing?

Hi @sderbin and @lady1lake, I'd like to also introduce you to @burrkay @basil9 @bestcare and @ina3, who are also living with or caring for someone with stage 3b or 4 non small-cell lung cancer.

@sderbin definitely a tough choice to make between treatment vs. watch and wait. Since everyone is different, it is hard to predict how tough the side effects will be. What type of chemo and immunotherapy would be considered for you?

@lady1lake what type of chemo did you have? It sounds like the side effects were manageable?

I had 6 sessions of carboplatin & etoposide, 3 days in a row, sometimes 3 weeks apart & sometimes 4 weeks apart. 1st day was with both, then 2nd & 3rd days just etoposide. In between sessions I had twice a day, every day radiation treatments for 5 weeks. Fatigue is still my main problem, but trying to do more each day.