Question about stage IV non-small cell lung cancer see details?
812864
I am no doctor, but, my father was diagnosed with initial stage NSC lung cancer in his one lung. Whoops; now I am confused, maybe it was small cell lung cancer. I think that is the more aggressive kind. Now I am not sure, and I started to answer your question. My point is, I know both cancers can spread, one more quickly than the other, but, when diagnosed at a later stage, which I believe your husband's one, the stage it is at gives you the percentage of survival rate (based on five years). So a six month prognosis was a 10 percent survival rate, which was horrible (to me). That is why the Dr. was shocked. No matter if the doctors were wrong, go with the facts. Your husband is still alive, he is living with cancer, not dying of cancer, so prayer, exercise, medicine, is all working. Accept it, and keep doing what you are doing. My son is outperforming all expectations for his rare diagnosis. How? Doctors can't explain it, but they say, "Keep doing what you are doing" Prayer is a very powerful thing, the most powerful and potent thing you can do. It is not his time, and keep loving and living with him. God has a plan for him. You may not know what the plan is, but, God does. Good luck, and I will keep you all in my prayers. A good resource for me was the lungalliance.org They have people who can help with questions. Or, it might be thelungalliance.org. Try both, or do a search engine on lungalliance.
920417
How much time elapsed? What else was going on during this time period? What proof do you have that the cancer spread during this time period? These are some questions to consider. \n\nA delay in treatment in the order of a few weeks to even a month is not out of the ordinary. You say "suspected Stage III", perhaps staging was going on during this time including scans. You need to know what stage the cancer is before you can determine what chemo regimen to use on someone. Also, I don't know how old the patient is, but was the doctor trying to get testing done on the heart and lungs to be sure they were strong enough to take the chemo? All of this info is quite necessary to safely treat someone or else the physician could be found negligent if something bad happened to the patient.
391018
yes. i had colon cancer stage 4. had surgeries, went thru 6 mo chemo, its like anything else negative you dont give in to it. you pray and have faith and live to the fullest day to day. i'm cancer free now for 1 1/2 year. i refuse to cry whine or be scared. maybe thats why i'm still alive!
532479
If the cancer has metastasized and is truly stage 4, then ultimate long term recovery chances are very small. However there are always exceptions to every rule. Some types of previously incurable lymphomas are now curable with stem cell or bone marrow transplants, so at least some stage 4 cancers are now sometimes curable. Brain, lung, breast, cervical or ovarian cancer are not curable after reaching stage 4 unless there is a miracle (spontaneous regression). Another thing to remember is that staging is often not as precise as Drs would have you believe, so one Dr's stage 4 is another Dr's stage 2 or 3.  good luck to your relative
667125
Look for info at this link:\nhttp://www.cancer.gov/cancer_information/doc.aspx?viewid=4d3f920e-87d6-4b6a-a2fe-74c6efa53398&version=1
795505
I know how you feel, but there is hope if it turns out to be cnacer. \n\nI am currently in the Bahamas with my Mother who has Terminal Lung Cancer. There is a clinic here that has been in operation for over 30 years. We have been here for 4 of our 8 week stay, everyday is really neat. A lot of the patients stick around in the meeting room/ waiting room to visit, and share stories and catch up. There were 40 people all talking and laughing, talking about cancer and life, the returning patients talk about how bad their cancer was 4, 8, 10 even 18 years ago when they started coming to the clinic, the cancer that has since disappeared. There is nothing dangerous or foreign to the treatment, just building up your immune system in a very effective manner. If you want to know more contact me or go to www.immunemedicine.com I cannot tell you how impressed I am with what I have seen and how my Mother has already improved. I know one man who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he skipped all US, conventional (poisonous, dangerous) options and went to the Bahamas and is doing great now. Another man who has been coming here for 18 years that had prostate cancer. People with just about every type of cancer. But, they are honest here, you send them your medical information and they will tell you whether they believe they can help you or not, and they will send you home if they don't think you are benefiting. \n\nMy mom has shown drastic improvements and is feeling so much better. and we are in the Bahamas so we are having a good Mother-Daughter vacation.\n\nI have also done a lot of research on the Cesium Chloride/DMSO treatment and think that it has merit and you can do it at home.\n\nThe clinic here believes that a supplement/liquid called VIBE works really well in addition to other treatments, I am going to look in to that some more.\n\nUS doctors push chemo and radiation, but when you look at the statistics and side effects it is not a good option for most people. My Mom had both before we came here and now that I know more about them and have researched them I feel horrible that I let her go through them. She was lucky (so far) the only long term side effect she has shown is short term memory loss. \n\nThe stories I have heard from the other patients here about how they were treated by US medicine astound me. One lady went home to have a shunt put in her liver so she would be ok to come here, but they refused to put it in unless she agreed to do chemotherapy, is that what our country is about? Denying helpful procedures unless we agree to dangerous, toxic ones? The drug companies run US medicine at least when it comes to cancer treatment and it is sad. Most doctors will tell you not to try alternative medicine and some will refuse to even see you again if you do. To some degree they are not to blame, they have not been taught anything about it other than that it is evil and wrong and they would be rejected by their colleagues if they suggested alternatives.\n\nI would also like to tell you about another lady staying at the house we are staying at, she is 86 years old and has breast cancer. She arrived at the clinic the same day we did and is doing very well. Her immune system continues to improve and she gained 2 pounds since last week. She is absolutely thrilled with this treatment and knows that it is helping her.\n\nThere is another elderly gentleman who just finished his 8-week treatment and is feeling better as he returns home. He has cancer around his optic nerve, but also had diabeties. His daughter said that while he was here on the treatment he needed a lot less insulin than usual. I am NOT claiming that the treatment also helps with diabeties, I am just saying that is what his experience was.\n\nPlease whatever you do, research first. \n\nOne very helpful website is www.cancertutor.com\n\nGood luck!!
909504
The good news is that breast cancer is very treatable today.  My Mom was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer two years ago.  (There is no Stage V)\n\nShe was on a few different kinds of chemotherapy, I remember Taxotere being one of them.  She also took medicines to bind estrogen and androgens since her cancer was estrogen receptor positive.  That is, estrogen feeds the tumors.\n\nOnce the tumor markers were down to a normal level, my Mom then had a lumpectomy and followup radiation.\n\nToday, about 2 years later, my Mom is in remission and cancer free!!  It can happpen!  I hope your relative has a great story to tell too!!
1033624
I am in the early stages of cancer, at the last count i had Liver, Lung, Pelvic and Spinal Cancer. 12 months before i found out about this latest bout of this terrible disease i had Bowel Cancer which resulted in the removal of my lower bowel. There really wasn't time for me to have any feelings about the disease or for it to have any effect on my body, as i got rid of it pretty quick. I now have to wear a bag for the rest of my life (which, according to the Doctors, will be around two years). \nIn regards to this latest cancer, as i said, i am in the early stages, but i am noticing that my hair is starting to fall out due to the chemo, but that is all. When people that know me see me in the street, they comment about how well i look, but i am sure that will change as the disease takes control of my immune system and totally runs rampant through my body.
807488
I know how you feel, but there is hope. \n\nI am currently in the Bahamas with my Mother who has Terminal Lung Cancer. There is a clinic here that has been in operation for over 30 years. We have been here for 4 of our 8 week stay, everyday is really neat. A lot of the patients stick around in the meeting room/ waiting room to visit, and share stories and catch up. There were 40 people all talking and laughing, talking about cancer and life, the returning patients talk about how bad their cancer was 4, 8, 10 even 18 years ago when they started coming to the clinic, the cancer that has since disappeared. There is nothing dangerous or foreign to the treatment, just building up your immune system in a very effective manner. If you want to know more contact me or go to www.immunemedicine.com I cannot tell you how impressed I am with what I have seen and how my Mother has already improved. I know one man who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he skipped all US, conventional (poisonous, dangerous) options and went to the Bahamas and is doing great now. Another man who has been coming here for 18 years that had prostate cancer. People with just about every type of cancer. But, they are honest here, you send them your medical information and they will tell you whether they believe they can help you or not, and they will send you home if they don't think you are benefiting. \n\nMy mom has shown drastic improvements and is feeling so much better. and we are in the Bahamas so we are having a good Mother-Daughter vacation.\n\nI have also done a lot of research on the Cesium Chloride/DMSO treatment and think that it has merit and you can do it at home.\n\nThe clinic here believes that a supplement/liquid called VIBE works really well in addition to other treatments, I am going to look in to that some more.\n\nUS doctors push chemo and radiation, but when you look at the statistics and side effects it is not a good option for most people. My Mom had both before we came here and now that I know more about them and have researched them I feel horrible that I let her go through them. She was lucky (so far) the only long term side effect she has shown is short term memory loss. \n\nThe stories I have heard from the other patients here about how they were treated by US medicine astound me. One lady went home to have a shunt put in her liver so she would be ok to come here, but they refused to put it in unless she agreed to do chemotherapy, is that what our country is about? Denying helpful procedures unless we agree to dangerous, toxic ones? The drug companies run US medicine at least when it comes to cancer treatment and it is sad. Most doctors will tell you not to try alternative medicine and some will refuse to even see you again if you do. To some degree they are not to blame, they have not been taught anything about it other than that it is evil and wrong and they would be rejected by their colleagues if they suggested alternatives.\n\nI would also like to tell you about another lady staying at the house we are staying at, she is 86 years old and has breast cancer as well. She arrived at the clinic the same day we did and is doing very well. Her immune system continues to improve and she gained 2 pounds since last week. She is absolutely thrilled with this treatment and knows that it is helping her.\n\nPlease whatever you do, research first. \n\nOne very helpful website is www.cancertutor.com\n\nGood luck!!
533787
I thought that you might find this informative to say the least. It will give you a better idea of what you are dealing with, unfortunately I am willing to bet that because of the situation a lawsuit may not even be considered. Sounds as if this is not a ordinary condition such as dealing with your gall bladder or appendix. In cases where they try different things in order to fix a problem that is not common it makes it difficult to prove that there is really any negligence involved. Case in point, my brother in law had lung cancer, they treated him for pneumonia for the year before it was actually diagnosis as cancer. In the mean time it had turned to small cell lung cancer, which basically is a death sentence. He died. Now the thing was is that because he was a smoker and had smoked his whole life he had symptoms of lung disease the cancer shows up on xrays very much like pneumonia and lung disease, where they negligent, well according to the lawyers my sister talked to NO. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't consult with a medical malpractice lawyer just to be sure. The thing that I would do is get a notebook and document everything that has happened so far while it is still fresh in your minds. Have everyone that is involved write down everything they can remember. That will help when you go to talk with the lawyer. Also don't let anyone from the hopital know that you might take action. The lawyer can and will request all information and records involved in his care. Then they have people(experts) who can really tear things apart and decipher what just went on to see if there was medical malpractice.\n\nhttp://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000068.htm\n\n\nAlso upon reading that article above from the link, a collapsed lung is not an uncommon thing with this condition. That I am sorry to say. Meaning, it can happen spontaniously without any trauma but just because of what is going on. Sounds like you are in for a tough time. I am truly sorry for your family and brother. My prayers will be with you.
618517
I was diagnosed with a stage four ovarian cancer 2 years ago when I was 17.  I was supposed to only have 6 rounds of chemo, but I had the option of two more rounds, which I did.  I also had a surgery which took 5 hours.  I havent had any reoccurences.  It hasnt been five years, but I have had been cancer free.  I would just go with any additional treatments that the oncologists offer.  I hope everything goes well with your wife.  If she needs anyone to talk to she can email me, because I have been through it all.
928105
I feel for you. I've been there, done that, only it was my 17 year old. Everytime the social worker came into the room with the pediatric oncologist we knew the news wasn't good. Awful nightmare. Just awful. Hang in there and be strong.\n\nAnyway, I'm not sure how lymphoma presents initially, but I can tell you that when my son first entered the hospital we heard that he might have Lymphoma too. That idea quickly changed after the biopsy. But we clung to that for about three days until we got the results from the biopsy. He had multiple abdominal masses and widespred cancer . . stage IV. We were told that Lymphoma was easier to treat than a sarcoma. They sent the biopsy results away for a second opinion, which confirmed he had an extremely rare and aggressive sarcoma that predominately strikes boys and young adults. So, we knew he was in for the fight for his life at that point on.\n\nI'm afraid that your brother in law does have a stage IV cancer from your description. Stage IV allows the doctors to know exactly which treatment to use for your brother in law. It is not a death sentence, but it is more difficult to treat with more hazards to encounter.\n\nMy son had originally gone to the doctor because his pediatrician thought he had hypothyroidism. The week before  he had been a healthy kid playing high school basketball. His belly had been expanding and we thought it was the thyroid condition. We were shocked and horrified to discover he had cancer. Right up until that diagnosis he had been asymptomatic. \n\nDo not worry at this point about survival rates. There are way too many factors to affect survival at this moment. No one can really predict this, not even his doctors. And,if they start handing out statistics, than it is probably time to get a second or third opinion. Have them look for an oncologist that they totally trust, that they get along with, and who will go the extra milege that they may need to get through this. Do not give up. Your brother in law and sister will find their strength and you can be there to help them.\n\nGood luck, I get it.
469432
Pleural effusion, which is the buildup of fluid between the outer lining of the lungs and the chest wall. This is a common condition with lung cancer. \nCoughing up large amounts of bloody sputum. \nCollapse of a lung (pneumothorax). \nBlockage of the airway (bronchial obstruction). \nRecurrent infections, such as pneumonia. \nPericardial effusion, which is the buildup of fluid in the space between the heart and the sac around the heart (pericardium). This condition is not common with lung cancer. \nAs lung cancer grows, it may spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. Lung cancer is classified in stages that are determined by the size of the cancer and how far it has spread within the lung, to nearby tissues, or to other organs.\n\nYour doctor determines the stage of your lung cancer by gathering information from a variety of tests, including blood tests, bone scans, and X-rays. The stage of your cancer is one of the most important factors in choosing an effective treatment.\n\nThe long-term outcome (prognosis) for lung cancer depends on how much the cancer has grown and spread. Experts talk about prognosis in terms of "5-year survival rates." The 5-year survival rate means the percentage of people who are still alive 5 years or longer after their cancer was discovered. Because lung cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, 15% of people live only 5 more years after being diagnosed. 1 It is important to remember that these are only averages. Everyone's case is different, and these numbers do not necessarily show what will happen to you.
910313
My understanding is that it is treatable but not curable.  So if believe that there are "last stages" of cancer then I guess there could be "last stages" for Rhumatoid arthritis.  I have it and it normally dosn't bother me as much as it used to because I treated it when it was bad.  Now I just have to watch it and take care of it if it flares up.  I haven't had any replacements or illness from it so obviously mine was a lot more mild but to answer your question I don't believe there are any "last stages."
707754
Throat cancer-- living with it. It depends on how far along it is when you get diagonised.  How quickly you get treatment. A friend of the families was diagonsed just after the new year 2005 and died in October of 2005, he was 56 yrs old and hadn't smoked in 20 years. they did tests and surgeries to removed the cancer and even radiation.  But  it was caught soon enough. So i guess it just depends on your specfic circumstances. I am sure a doctor could tell you more.
794777
Hello\n\n Boy that's a difficult question and one I am also going through right now with my mother.  I don't think anyone is going to be able to answer this for you and your family, you all know your mom the best.  I can only tell you what we have done.  My mother knows she has lung and heart problems but she really doesn't understand the severity of the problems.  The last time she was hospitalized she had to be put on life support, and the doctors told us she has about 6 months. She is terrified of doctors and hospitals and worries about dying.  She's been really sick for years now.  As a family we decided not to tell her what the doctors said because she gets so scared and we want her to get the most out of the time she has left without being scared and worring all the time.  So only your family knows enough about how your mother to make this decision.  Is she the kind of person who would want to get her affairs in order or would it only add to her suffering.  I hope this helps some. Good luck and God bless.
1110423
I don't know exactly what the chances are that you'd get cancer from it, because that can depend on a variety of things. The risks are there though. My uncle died from lung cancer, so did my old neighbor friend. To be honest, I'd just try to quit if you can.