non small cell lung cancer-stage 4 - Cancer: Lung Message Board

JASMINE · 03-08-2002, 02:40 AM

My uncle has been diagnosed with stage 4, non small cell lung cancer, spread to his spine, liver, and lymph nodes... he had a stroke about 10 yrs ago, and a heart attack just a few years ago..he's only 50, why didn't they find this then??? Does anyone know anything about this? He's taking chemo but I don't know how long he will continue...it's non operatable and 6 months to 2 years but I'm finding that to be a :standard: answer they give...any info would be helpful...

Luvcarosel · 03-12-2002, 11:51 PM

Iam so sorry to hear about your uncle. beleive me its
dis-beleif when you are told that a loved one has lung
cancer. My grandmother which I was closer to than my own mother was diagnosed late april 2001 no doubt in the same hospital she had been in 2 mos prior for breathing difficulty.She had been diagnosed with having
emphazema 1 yr prior even after several hospital and dr
visits on a regular basis.This time when she was entered they said she had fluresy, until her oxygen level starting dropping dramatically and they did a chest x-ray that showed she had fluid in her right lung. The Dr transferred her from the regular floor to the ICU. He than ordered a fine needle aspiration to try to find out where the fluid was coming from. The test confirmed 2 days later she had adeniocarcinoma of the right lung stage 1. The dr did all kinds of cat scans, mri's you name it they did it. The pulomonary specialist brought in the onocologist and this Dr stated that the good thing was it was not spread through out her body, it was contained to the right lung. the cancer specialist said she could survive with
this being in the one lung. My grandmother was in-operable because of her oxygen level being so bad they could not put her under. She received chemo- 2 doses.
they would not give her radiation. After speaking to the Dr and he was saying that she had 6-8 months to live they decided she could come home as soon as her oxygen got to where it needed to be. I last saw her on
weds and we had discussed where she wanted to go to live. she had decided to come live w/me because she felt at home w/me and had spent much of her time there
with me and my family. I had decided since they had limited her to 2 visitors in her room I would let some of the other family members time to spend with her
since I had been there everyday since she had been in.
I did not realize at the time thurs would be the last time she would recognize or be coherent to talk to me.
I received a phone call at work early 8am that friday
from the pulmologist saying did I want a DNR-do not resusitate. I was in complete shock. I said I do not understand what is happening. I had called fri 12:30am
to check on her status. The nurse stated she was doing fine and resting well her oxygen was 97. When I got there the Dr stated she wouldnt make it through the
weekend. When I arrived there I was not prepared to see my grandmother the way she was. Her pulumonary Dr
said he was sorry and that he suspected something last November and said he thought she would get an MRI. I was so upset because she was under his care in feb 2001, and also march 2001. She only had medicare at the time and was pushed out in a matter of a day.I told this Dr why didnt you order the MRI? My grandma
cannot walk into a office and ask for one with out a
written prescription. I lost her on Sat May 5, at 11:10pm. Myself and the family had her moved to the palative care unit and we stayed 24/7 with her till she passed on. I dont trust the medical field anymore
make sure someone gets permission (power of attorney)
to view his records to see if there is a mis-diagnosis
somewhere along the way. Spend each and every day as if it was the last one. Take care Lisa

[This message has been edited by moderator3 (edited 03-13-2002).]

debaroo · 03-18-2002, 05:47 AM

Hi Jasmine..My aunt is 59..When she was 57 she was diagnosed with non small cell lung cancer..It was in early stage found by routine chest xray, she had VATS surgery( video asstisted surgery) and that we thought was the end of that..Well, it came bacn again a year later, this time in the carina, thats where the 2 lungs meet on the top, I'm told, by the esphogus..So, the was given radiation and told she can live a few years..Well, her friend at work told her about this hospital in Boston, Massachusetts General( 3rd best in US) and long story short, all she had to do was fax the info to the doctor to see if he could help her and sure enough he did and she had the surgery, a long 10 hours one in Novemeber and is taking chemo now, the last treatment this week..If she listened to the doc here in NJ, she'd be gone real soon..Now she has a chance..I think it would be worth a try..She was in the 2nd stage..I don't know how advanced your uncles is, the docs name is Dr. Mathsien ( not pronounced as it looks, sounds like MA-TEE-SEE-IN). We sent my aunts info there, within a week the doc looked it over and said she was a canidate for surgery..Hers was in the lung only..I don't want to get hopes up for miracles, but who knows, he might be worth a try..I stayed with her up there 6 days and back to NJ we came..They told her ( the docs here, quacks)how risky is was and they had to crack her chest open..They didn't crack her chest..If you want the best care, you have to go to a CANCER CENTER...I know he's a thoraic surgeon, I don't know what he can do about the liver or spine..Hope this helps you or someone reading it...God Bless ...DEB

[This message has been edited by moderator2 (edited 03-23-2002).]

bird123 · 03-18-2002, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JASMINE:
My uncle has been diagnosed with stage 4, non small cell lung cancer, spread to his spine, liver, and lymph nodes... he had a stroke about 10 yrs ago, and a heart attack just a few years ago..he's only 50, why didn't they find this then??? .

Well, someties it is difficult to see a lung tumor on plain chest X-ray. This might be a reason the lung cancer had not been found during his last hospitalization. The lung cancer is usually well seen on CT of chest. Unfortunately, stroke or heart attack is not an indication for chest CT.

mreed · 03-23-2002, 12:00 AM

Jasmine,
I am 29 and was diagnosed with stage iv lung cancer when I was 27. Its been a year and a half so far. I have it spread throughout both lungs, one tumor is about 8 inches big. I have been on chemotherapy since I was diagnosed and given 6 months to live without the chemo. I have read that on the average people with stage iv lung cancer live a year. I have met people that have been alive 4 or 5 years with lung cancer. I guess it depends on the person, each case is individual. I hope that I can make it another year, but do not want to if it means I spend my time here suffering. I love my husband so much. He is so wonderful, our one year anniversary is coming up in a few weeks. I feel a little worse every week and will notice that I havent been happy or laughing for a few weeks and try and change it. Its hard to be happy and nice when you are in pain. I dont want to do that to him, or any of my family and friends. So I eat what I want and spend the majority of my time laying down in bed or on the couch. If I lay still I dont hurt at all, so thats what I do, lay down, drink Sprite and take my pain pills. My husband works all day then comes home and is always in such a wonderful mood. With life like this I feel like I can take any pain, just to be with him. But I know that eventually that the pain will just be too much and I hope that it isnt that hard to let go when I decide to do so. I am so sorry for your uncles situation. I hope that he is not in too much pain. I hope that he has someone to take care of him. It sounds like you really care about him and that is nice that you care enough to look up this bulletin board and put down your questions. Good luck with him, I will say a prayer for both of you. Michele