What is the survival rate for this type and stage of cancer? I look at sites and see a timeframe of 1 to 5 years, I've also seen 15 to 18 months. This is the frustrating part of this disease - you never know!

What is the survival rate for this type and stage of cancer? I look at sites and see a timeframe of 1 to 5 years, I've also seen 15 to 18 months. This is the frustrating part of this disease - you never know!


My dad was diagnosed with non small cell lung cancer, stage IIIA, he went on for a year then the cancer spread to his bone and it became stage IV at that point. Dad passed away 6 months later. So from his initial diagnosis till he passed away was only 18 months. You have to remember though that everyone is different. Not much worked for my dad. He tried chemo, radiation, Iressa, nothing was combating this thing.

Just take things one day at a time. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
K.

Why if he began with radiation and chemo, would they want to stop chemo?

Why if he began with radiation and chemo, would they want to stop chemo?
Dad had one round of chemo, before his lung surgery (to shrink the tumor) and two rounds of radiation, one round before his lung surgery to shrink the tumor and then one round of radiation when the cancer came back to his bone. After all of his treatments he was feeling better, he was back on his feet, then within a few months the cancer returned to his lungs. He was offered chemo but he declined. He tried Iressa for 6 weeks but the tumors in his lungs were just multiplying. The cancer was so aggressive at this point the chemo would not cure anything, maybe only slow it down and make him live another month or two. Dad's feelings on this were, why should I go through with the chemo, I am going to feel lousy again and it will only prolong my suffering. The family respected his decision and we then called hospice. 6 weeks later dad passed away peacefully in our arms.

It's okay...the doctors wanted him to stop so his rib would heal. He isn't stopping.

My brother has finished his treatments of radiation and chemo. In May he will go in for testing and a week later speak to the doctors. He lost a total of 60 lbs and none of his hair. Also, a lot of muscle tone is gone. He joked that he'd have to do an Arnold S workout and I said 'yes, you'll be back' and he said, 'I'll be back.'

What is the survival rate for this type and stage of cancer? I look at sites and see a timeframe of 1 to 5 years, I've also seen 15 to 18 months. This is the frustrating part of this disease - you never know!

This was something i found when my Dad was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer. I couldn't get him to travel that far to cancer center across the country, but i did get him to get a second opinion at Stanford. Unfortunately it has already spread to stage 4 and it seems that chemotherapy is all they can do for him now. His first treatment session will be on the 31st of this month. I know that you asked about stage 3B and they refer to 3A, but it might be worth looking into... good luck my friend!


You may read this story online at:

http://www.mc.Vanderbilt.Edu/reporter/index.html?ID=1814

This is just a little from the article above...

At Vanderbilt, three-year survival for Stage 1 lung cancer is 77 percent, compared to 55 percent nationally (data from the National Cancer Database).
The difference is even wider for Stage 2 and Stage 3A cancers. For Stage 2, Vanderbilt's three-year survival rate is 93 percent, compared to a national average of 34 percent. For Stage 3A, Vanderbilt's three-year survival is 49 percent, compared to 16 percent nationally.
Roberts attributes much of that difference to a difference in treatment regimen between community providers and an academic center that performs a high number of lung cancer surgeries each year.
Early stage cancer is best treated with surgery alone, Roberts said. In more advanced stages, the standard in the community is to do chemotherapy and radiation alone, whereas here, we typically follow chemotherapy and radiation with surgery.

I think ever case and every person it would be different.

My dad died of lung cancer in 1983 it was 1 year to the

month he had learned he had lung cancer. My mom also

passed away to lung cancer march 2003 she found out in

Aug.02 she lived only 7 months but in my moms case it

had already spread to the liver, kidney and neck when she

found out it was already last stage.

Last March my mom was diagnosed with advanced small cell lung cancer. After 2 courses of chemo and several second opinions, we just found out (about 1 hour ago) that she actually has Stage IIIb Non Small Cell Lung Cancer. The doctors want to treat with Radiation and more chemo. She has never had lung cancer symptoms (found by routine chest x-ray) and now we have to decide what to do next. She doesn't want to think about it, which I can understand, but we children can't stop thinking about it. It's hard to think of my mom getting radiation therapy (it sounds like a bad experience), can anyone offer their thoughts/experiences with radiation and chemo treatments?
Thanks,
Elizabeth :confused:

My brother's experience with radiation was that it was very difficult for him to eat, and at times to swallow even water. He had a lot of Ensure type products that were milk-shakey and had nutrients. He lost about 60 lbs during treatment which was about two months. Also, the radiation causes your skin to be 'sun-burned' especially his back and shoulders - it all depends on where the cancer is located. After his treatment, cat-scan results showed it shrunk down to 30%. Going forward he will continue chemo and he does have to go back for more tests on May 4. He has been and still is on oxygen. Doctor wants him to wean off but he hasn't been able to yet. The docs gave him a mixture that he drank to soothe his esophogus (sp?) but it didn't help.

Be aware that problems with hemorroids can also develop.

Thank you Sawbuck 44, your information was consistant with others I've spoken with. My mom has her doctor's appointment tomorrow to discuss treatment options. My sister and I are going with her. I think she's going to opt out on the Radiation, but you can never be 100 percent sure what your decision will be until the doctor speaks the words; she may change her mind. And then she's got my 8 year daughter who told her, "I don't want you to die so soon, Grandma." And then the older grandchildren saying, "We were thinking the same thing Grandma, we just didn't say it." With that kind of pressure we adults just try to support and listen.

Thanks again for your help.

My brother was retested and was given good and bad news. The tumor has shrunk. I'm not sure of the size before and after. There is scar tissue in his lungs. He was told to go on SSD because he will not be able to do the work he does now due to lung capacity. There is also cancer showing in his liver. He had a chemo treatment and will have another next week. He meets with the doctors on 5/11 still so he'll get more info then. How can they treat cancer when it is in the liver? thanks and God bless!

Hi- I am sorry for your brothers bad news. With my husband, they replied on teh chemo therpay to shrink, or keep the lesions on his liver at bay. I do not want to sy much about it, I can only tell you what I have heard from Doctors. It is my understanding, cancer in the liver is very hard to treat, but NOT impossible. If caught at an earl stage, they have a better chance of treating it. It sounds liek maybe his is an early stage. It can be treated with surgery, radiation or chemotherapy...or a combination. It depends what stage it is in.

My husband cancer is small cell. With my husband, they say he is at a terminal stage, so by the time they found the cancer in his liver, they say there is nothing they can do to remove it. If you look at my previous posts, you will see that we do not agree. I believe with God, all things are possible. And, a will to live! Notice that I say "they say" a lot? That does not mean we have to believe it and give up, they can say whatever they want!

You would want to get the ok from his Doctor first (very important), but I recommend finding an herbal supplement that he can take, just for a little support for the body, There is no herbal cure, but there are herbs that can help the body with it's natural processes. My husband takes quite a combo of herbs, all approved by his oncologist. If there is a health food store near you, talk to them about this, and they can help you find a good supplement.

I will tell you, my husband and I did MUCH research, an spoke to several people to decide what was best for his condition. The 3 things he will NOT do without are IP6, bone defense and a liquid called "cell food". The bone defense is becuase they had to replace his hip. The IP6 has great cancer fighting agents, and the cell food increases his oxygen.

I wish I could tell you more, I do wish you and your brother the best of luck!

Renee

My husband has NSCC and was given 11 months, that was almost 9 mths ago. He went thru the regime of radiation and several chemo's, however he has had severe reactions to most of the chmeo medcines, blood transfusion once and hospitalized once as well. Now we are on the drug Iressa, which is still experimental. He still has energy to entertain our 2 yr old son. He sleeps most of the day while I work. I truly believe attitude and support play very important factor. I can only HOPE-and Pray. Good luck and my thoughts are with you.

Hi, well this is the second time since I last posted that my brother has been in the hospital. The first was pnemonia and now it is a multitude of things, pleurasy, constipation, not sure what else - he is at the hospital right now. I just got the phone call. Does anyone have any experience dealing with pleurasy?
thanks and God bless us all.

I'm afraid to be happy about this but my brother's tumor is gone! He had developed a small spot on his liver that his doctor feels confident will go away with chemo. Other than a cracked rib and eatting issues as well as breathing - he's getting a bit better. Still sounds tired whenever I talk with him. This is what they call remission right? So, it can come back?!

Hi, just thought I'd give an update on my brother. He had a real bout with constipation for over a month. They gave him supositories, enemas, and some meds and finally that issue is okay. He still has a hard time swallowing some types of food - mostly meat and breads. He has lost a lot of weight, but it is not just due to his limitations of what he can it's what he replaced it with and the fact that he no longer eats three hugh meals a day - now he eats 4 to 5 small meals. Every day he drinks a Boost, eats lots of fruits and vegetables.

He has stopped chemo for a bit due to the rib not healing. He sees the doctors in a few weeks so I'll update again after that. At this point, the mass in his lungs has all but disappeared though there is some scar tissue and he does have it showing in his liver. His lung is collapsed and they are hopefully waiting that it opens on its own. They don't want to disturb the cancer cells by forcing it open. He is still on oxygen. For a while he wasn't taking phone calls or returning any, but we all understand and he knows we do and that we want to support him in any way we can. Take care.

I am sorry to hear that he is not doing so well. I will continue to pray, and keep the devil from flinging the door open!

Renee

With this disease its hard to tell. My father had his whole lung removed 6 years ago and was considered cancer free. He also had NSC with a large tumor in his left lung. He was fine for 6 whole years. 2 years ago he developed bone pain, hip pain, stomach burning, His yearly chest x-ray was clear and normal. This past Feb he had shortness of breadth, and Pnumonia. Doctors felt it was a pnumonia pocket on his upper right lung. Never got better with antiobiotics. Biopsy was neg, CEA level was 53.1. Well to make a long story short it ended up being the beast we all feared had came back after 6 years. We still dont know if his bone pain was related to this. He took Irressa for 15 days and just got worse. The tumors just grew faster. My beautiful dad passed on May 16th. He just suffered 1 day. The last week his appatite was not good, I guess his body was shutting down. We consider this a blessing since he did not struggle with breadthing and other problems. Just get the best care you can and pray. It helped me. Even though dad is gone he is still with me and I pray for every person and their family who have to fight this disease.

Today my brother - he's 49 - is getting two pints of blood. He went to the doctor asking him why he had no energy and cried all the time. His rib still has not healed. The doctor checked his blood it was down to 28 way too low. Hopefully the transfusion will give him more energy. He still has trouble eating certain things like bread.

Tomorrow he goes in to have a CT scan. Doctor said it was possible that the cancer mets to his bones and that's why the rib hasn't healed. We won't get the results until 8/19 (my sister's birthday). If it has metstasized to his bones, it means there isn't much time left doesn't it?

God bless us all.

Hi Sawbuck- I am sorry that your brother is not feeling better. I am praying for good results! I don't think that it necessarily means that there is not much time left. Hang in there, and stay strong for your brother.

Let us know how he is doing after the transfusion, and the CT scans.

Renee

Hi - I hope your brother is cured. I know with my brother-in-law who had inoperable lung cancer (don't know which type) went against his doctors in his home town who told him treatment would prolong his life but consider the quality. He went to Houston who disagreed and thought they had a chance to fight it. That has probably been 10 yrs ago and now he is healthy. But after his treatments, he was extremely drained and very weary and was out of work for awhile. And even though there was still a spot left in his lungs, the drs thought the chemo left in his body would continue to fight it and it did.

My sister on the other hand has not been so fortunate. After 2 bouts of radiation and several rounds of different chemo, they have stopped all treatments. She was ordered to quit work and to have someone with her at all times. It spread to the liver and to the brain and what is in the brain is growing pretty fast. But she is not in any pain, is very bored with not working and still has an appetite. She is considered terminal now but seeing her its hard to believe.

I'm glad your brother is having success and as a matter of fact, his success is all of your family success.

Wishing you the best.

Hi, a few days ago my brother was admitted to the hospital. Actually the day after he received the blood units. He has pnemonia and the cancer matastisized to his broken rib. They are still not sure if it has entered further. They did a ct scan. He was admitted Friday afternoon and by Sunday morning 3am he was moved to CCU. He is not eating much - although enough where they say he does not need intravenous food. they want to do another ct scan of his lung to see if there is a clot - they are treating him with a fluid - starts with an H - that will keep any clots from growing, but they really want to see if there is one. The doctor told him he'd only have to lie on his back for 20 to 30 seconds and hold his breath for 15 sec. He told the doc, 'it ain't happening.' He cannot breath when he lies on his back. He is on misted oxygen and is getting morphine pills and shots - not on the pump yet. We are hoping that intravenous antibiotics, pain meds, etc. that he will respond. They did do an ultrasound on his legs to see if there were any clots there. We should get those results today. He is ready to go. Says if he has to live like he is - it's not worth it.

Last night we were told my brother had from a few weeks to a few months to live. There is nothing more they can do. Chemo and radiation will do more harm than good. The cancer is growing in his liver. It mets to the bone - where he broke his rib. He asked the doctor if the lung could be removed and the doctor said he would not be able to live through the surgery.

Right now he is in a regular room at the hospital where they are trying to stablize his pain to see how much he needs in order to be comfortable. We will be setting up home hospice and as soon as those are both done he can leave the hospital. Some enlightening moments to share...he wanted some "green" grapes and cherries "and they have to taste good." I went to the store and found green grapes easy enough but did not see any cherries. I asked the produce person and he went in back to check and came out empty handed. He asked another employee and they said there weren't any more. I was just about to leave and the man asked "did you see those cherries over there? there's one bag left." I went over and looked and it was a small bag - just enough and even though I didn't have any to choose from I tasted one anyways to make sure it tasted good. It did. I told the man it was from heaven and that I was buying them for my sick brother.

I may continue to post at some point. I wish and pray for everyone here. Hugs and smiles - as they say on toy story "let's be careful out there."

I am so sorry to hear this news. I am still going to pray for a miracle for him!

Renee

He had a good day yesterday - physically. He was able to shave and ate some food, fruit and cottage cheese. Funny how when you are real ill you're forced to eat the way you should have been eating all along. You can't stomach all those bad foods. Strawberry milkshakes - from McDonald's - are still his favorite.

Today is my sister's birthday. Last night I asked him if he wanted me to buy her a gift and card for him to give her. He cried and said 'i don't have any money.' He has money issues - it is so sad to see him have to deal with that aspect of fixing things. Of course I told him not to worry about the money. He's very independent and cried when he told me that he was so independent that he missed out on a lot of family time over the years. I told him that his independence was what people loved so much about him and so many people love him.

Today my sister is flying in for a week. His youngest estranged son is coming in soon too. I got to go - I needed someone to talk to yet it's too hard. I appreciate you all being there.

I guess I knew that some day I would be typing this email message. Just didn't realize it would be this soon. Eight months after being diagnosed, my brother passed away this morning. I just want to say that if you smoke, get tested if you keep getting bronchitus or pnemonia. If my brother was diagnosed early than stage IIIB, he may have had fighting chance against this disease. So what began as a tumor in his lung, spread to his liver and then his bones - it attacked at the sight of the broken rib.

Thanks for all your well wishes and support. God Bless.

Our hearts and prayers are with you!

I am so sorry to hear that you have lost your brother. I was so afraid to open you last reply, because this is what I was afraid I would find. I hope you find some comfort in knowing that he will no longer suffer. My heart and my prayers are with you.

Renee

Sorry to hear about your brother, and our thoughts and prayers are with you. No matter if you know it is going to happen, you can never prepare yourself

Cheryl

I know it has been a while since I've posted, but there are two things I wanted to share about my brother's last day. In a previous post, I had said that I got my brother a present for my sister. What I didn't realize was that I was mistaken about my sister's birthday it wasn't the 18th but the 19th. If I had waited the day before to actually ask my brother about getting a present for her, he would not have been coherent enough to tell me anything.

Also, the last day Wednesday (he died Thursday at 3:00 am) I had only planned on going to see him for my lunch hour and bring him my sister's present so he could give it to her when she came to visit him. I have three sisters. Well, anyway, the sister who's birthday it was, was at the airport picking up our oldest sister who lives in Florida. Unfortunately, in Palm Bay where Frances and Jeanne hit pretty good. She is okay just lost a tree with Frances and portions of her roof with Jeanne. It turned out that her flight was delayed due to someone having a heart attack on the plane. They had to land and take off again making her arrival over two hours later. I called work and told them that I would be late due to this situation and that I didn't want to leave my brother alone. When my sisters finally got to the hospital, my birthday sister talked to the Hospice person. When she came back out, I told her I had to go back to work. She then told me that I probably wouldn't want to leave. Then she told me our brother only had a few days left. Unfortunately, he died on her birthday.

I feel that in both these situations happened so I could make the most out of the last few days with my brother. The birthday so that he could be coherent and give her the gift and the plane delay so that I was made to stay with him at the hospital. I guess we all look for reasons and signs to help us heal. These are just two of mine. Another day I was at my workout club and a song was playing on the radio talking of death and love and then I looked up and looked directly at locker number 49 - my brother's age. Okay, I don't mean to get freaky. Guess I'm just thinking a lot about him lately. take care and thanks for your support

sawbuck- I know what you mean, as far as looking for signs. I do the same thing with Scott. I can see reminders of him everywhere. And signs that show me he is near. We are not crazy, just hopeful!

Renee

Hey Renee, how are you and your family doing? If we have faith, we know there is hope. I told my brother that last day that I was glad we both believed in God because we knew we'd see each other again in Heaven and wouldn't be in pain. That was so hard to say to him because it kind of put a finality on his life. I guess I was just reminding him to trust in God so I'd know he'd be there when I get there. Almost sounds silly but it is so true.

The best way to heal for me is to talk about him with others that knew him. I never knew his friends or even much of his fiance's family. Another sad thing. My brother's fiancee's son absolutely loves me and it's hard to begin a relationship now when I'm feeling guilty that it should have been built when my brother was here. Then I am reminded when I watch videos and think back that we ALWAYS invited him to our family gatherings and most times he would show up by himself. His fiancee hardly ever came. She was always working... We just have to stop beating ourselves up over what could have been and be thankful for what we had. I say we but I don't mean to imply that you are included in what I feel. oh, now i'm ramblin' need to get to work. take care.