Lung cancer and Comorbidities

I'm dealing with this right now. After 14 years I have a completely different lung cancer. In the intervening years I developed heart failure.

The steroids that I am given for chemo has some interactions with the lasix and Jardiance I have been given to manage the heart disease. My urine glucose shot up over 1000 and I gained 8.5 pounds in 4 days. My primary care doc doubled the lasix for 3 days. And ordered an A1C and fasting blood tests to check for diabetes. Fortunately, they were both normal.

The oncologist is reducing the strength of the steroid pretreatment. Post treatment we've reduced the dosage and cut back from 4 to 3 days steroid use.

As for the heart doctor, I'm due to see him but switching to a different doctor within the practice. One who has more experience with cancer patients.

I've added a palliative care physician and meet with them the day before my next chemo. I'm looking forward to seeing what she has to contribute here.

@loulou23, SOME people with lung cancer also have comorbidities, typically those in their 70s. I was diagnosed with nonsmokers lung cancer at age 58 and had no health conditions when I was diagnosed. Not only that, but having cancer now has helped prevent/treat other age-related conditions as they've arisen. For example, because I'm on Tagrisso, I visited a cardiologist who found a slightly leaky valve. I now have an annual heart ultrasound to monitor that valve, which is not getting any worse. However, I wouldn't have known about it if I'd not started taking Tagrisso. My oncologist has been very proactive about sending me to any specialist he thinks I might need.