My brother-in Law has non small cell cancer his lungs. He also has had COPD for the last 2-3 years. The cancer went undiagnosed until it got to the size of a tennis ball and his lung filled 3/4 up with fluid. They could not stop the lung from draining and did a procedure that he calls "Talcing the lung" As he explained it, the procedure is supposed to seal the lung and make it adhere to the lung cavity, so that he can begin chemotherapy. Can anyone tell me what this procedure is called and the effectiveness or real reason for it? He is a stage 3B and is now on oxygen all the time.

I don't really know what the procedure can and can't do for him...But I'm sure it will help alot and I wish him all the luck in the world..I'll say a prayer for him now!
What kind of symtoms did he have? and it sounds like he had this along time before he went in to the Doctors...

Hratl, Thank you for your prayers. The sad thing is that he had symptoms and went to a Dr in Feb 2001. The Dr. took an xray which showed a shadow in the lower left lobe. The Dr attributed it to his COPD and gave him medicine for that and told him to come back in 6 months. In 6 months he went back and told the DR that he was having more problems, to which the DR said yes, you seem worse (no xray, no tests), changed his medicine and said come back in 6 months! He went back again in 3 months and the DR said well, your getting lots worse,(no xray, no tests) Keep taking your medicine and come back in 6 months!! That was 2 months ago and he finally went to another DR who said that cancer has been growing for 1-2 years, and is now too large to take out. The original DR has quite probably given this man a death sentence from his negligence. All we can do now is pray and hope that the experimental treatment and drug that he has chosen will be the one that can cure him or at least give him a few more years!

I dont want to paint a dark shadow on the diagnosis, but my father had lung cancer, left lung upper lobe, he went through the radiation, chemo, then was in remission, so they said, that lasted two weeks, believe me when I say Doctors arent God, so they dont really tell someone, "YOUR DYING", they will tell the patient, theres this chemo this radiation, and true if it is Gods will then thy will be done, But they push the radiation, chemo and new experiments... to give hope to the patient, when in the truth light of the darkness the inevitable is very slim of remission, Miracles do happen, I might sound negative, But seeing what my father went through and just wanting the Doctors to tell him what to expect, they wouldnt even give him the truth, He was dying and there was no hope, but hey will push anything try new things, and maybe by experimenting on this person and the next we might find a cure, something that will work. Now my father had fluid drained by needle three times within one month the fourth and final time they inserted the chest tube and got 15oo cc and then did the talc wash, he lived four weeks, and that was it. The cancer was already all over, spreading , but hey what happend to the remission, oh well that was only a two week miracle, All my father wanted to know was how long, I had to tell my father. Dad you are weak, because you are dying, and I am so sorry , I miss him so much, the grief is just hitting me. I try to think positive, as I snuggled up to him and held him when he took his last breath, I want so much to take my anger out on the doctors, the one his oncologist who , when my father asked him what do I do, How bad is it, The doctor said, I already told you let me right it down for you. All my dad wanted was the truth, but legalities, you know they have to try, The new drug Irresa, a miracle pill, . I am having a bad day, but to answer your question, the talc method did work, for my father, he never had to go back and have any fluid drained off it is supposed to be a good procedure, good luck and God bless to all Eva

Hi Eva,

I am very sorry for your loss! I hope that as each day passes, you will start remembering the good times you had with him and not the pain and anger of the latter times. I have no expectations of these drugs working on my brother-in-law. My other sister works for a medical mal-practice law firm and they have obtained all the prior records over the last two years (due to the gross negligence of the first DR. The staff Drs with her law firm have made us aware that the present Dr is not telling the patient everything and that there is very little hope of survival beyond a month or two. His wife does not want to hear this and therefore rejects any idea that he won't be around long. This is what is working for her right now, and who's to say that he is not in line for a miracle!! Thank you for responding about the talc wash, I have not been able to find anything about the procedure including the actual name of it.

Lyn