Anyone opt for chemo/radiation over surgery?

onecoyote · Experienced user Joined: 15 Jul 2008 Posts: 66

Hi everyone,
I am curious if anyone with stage 2 or 3 NSCLC has opted for chemo/radiation in place of surgery?
My husband is awaiting a definitive staging from biopsies on lymph nodes. This makes him pretty much in limbo as to whether he is a 2b or 3a. The surgeon has some concern about doing a pneumonectomy or a double lobectomy(middle and lower right lobes) because of the reduced oxygen levels he will be left with. Danny, my husband, has a mild case of emphysema on top of the lung cancer so it throws a kink into the mix.
So, with all this to think of my husband was hoping that maybe he could bypass the surgical treatment and go for chemo/radiation.
Would his chance for NED be totally eliminated if he did this? Thanks to anyone with feedback,
Onecoyote

maryaz

Hi onecoyote; I think you may have already read my husband's story. If not, do read it. The link is at the bottom of my post.

He was staged NSCLC Squamous Cell Carcinoma 3B. He had very aggressive chemo and radiation. Personally, I felt, afterward that it was why he had the opportunity to have the surgery. Surgery in the beginning was not a definite option. We feel the radiation was the biggy for shrinking the tumor.

His cancer was determined by a needle biopsy done January 10th. They insert this thru the back. In doing the bronchoscope, they could not get enough for a biopsy. His treatments started February 25th and then the last was first part of April. Surgery was May 16th.

I believe the tumor had to shrink to a certain point and cancer limited as shown on Pet Scan before surgery could happen. Afterward surgeon had got the tumor and all the lymph nodes that were removed had dead cancer cells except one. We just hope the one is all the further it went. 2 CTscans have so far shown no cancer. Without surgery, he would still have had the cancer growing.

Everyone is different in some ways. That applies to many diseases. Numbers are not always the primary thing to go by. I was told right up front on another board that Stage 3B does not get surgery and that once staged, a stage cannot be changed. Right or wrong, that became an unimportant issue with me when I saw what my husband got for treatment.

onecoyote: Lung function is lost thru the surgery. From what I know now and if your case was my husband, I would want to sit down and find out exactly what the doctors think. If it really needed to be the surgery to save his life, then I would think long and hard. I would take my husband with limited lung capacity over not having him at all. That is considering a lung function that he can still live comfortably.

I found it very difficult to make decisions on things when your life is in a turmoil and also you are not well versed on what is being discussed. I can look back now and I know so much more than I did in even April. In the beginning, you just don't realize what all is happening.

Best of luck to you. I am still praying for you both.
_________________
Mary

Husband is 67 year old Male
NSCLC - Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Chemo and Radiation Treatments together
Allergic reactions to Taxol and Taxotere.
The Story: http://www.cancerforums.net/about9079.html

onecoyote · Experienced user Joined: 15 Jul 2008 Posts: 66

Hi Mary,
Yes indeed I did read your hubby's story a while back. The biggest issue for me is loss of lung function to the degree that it makes my once, very active husband, an invalid. He is very depressed now that the surgeon told him that after they take 2/3rds of his right lung out or possibly(very good possibility) a full pneumonectomy, that he will have at best 60% lung function.
My husband was curious if anyone just went with chemo and radiation in order to preserve lung function or would that be tempting fate?
Mary, what is your hubby's breathing like now? did he exercise his lungs to increase any capacity? The surgeon told us that the most my husband could work towards would be a 5% increase.
I do understand when you say a live but limited functioning husband is better than a dead one. I was just hoping for another option, if there is one.
Thanks for your support Mary, I know you have been there and done that. I wish you and your husband the best and smooth sailing from this point on. I am entering stormy seas now and hope to weather them.
Onecoyote (Charlene)

maryaz

I am not sure if his breathing has been tested.yet. Maybe not due to al the problems he has had. I know he should work at it better than he does and he would improve more.

He goes to the grocery store but is using a scooter for a big shopping trip. He walks most places right now. He gets winded after making a bed. I know, from personal experience, that there is room for improvement. Due to his radiation treatment (we think that is why) his reoovery has been slow. He is still having some pain with the rib area.

My husband would be okay. I don't know what his numbers are yet. He wasn't too bad going into surgery. He may have had a little problem but then he also had the tumor. He had an FEV1 of 81% before meds and 87% after.

This is a little too hard to compare in writing. I know people with low lung function who do very welll and others that don't come close. Depends on what is put into it sometimes.

I wasn't much help this time. Hang in there. I have to get some sleep now.
_________________
Mary

Husband is 67 year old Male
NSCLC - Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Chemo and Radiation Treatments together
Allergic reactions to Taxol and Taxotere.
The Story: http://www.cancerforums.net/about9079.html

onecoyote · Experienced user Joined: 15 Jul 2008 Posts: 66

Hi Mary,
Yes you were helpful this time, lol. My husband would be happy if he could make the bed at all, so being winded would work for him.
I am not sure what his FEV1 number is, I do know that when the pulmonologist had my husband climb three flights of stairs, up and down, that his blood oxygen (using the oximeter) was 94%.
The biggest concern will be if the surgeon decides(while he is in there) to take the whole lung. The position of the tumor is in the bronchus of the middle lobe and compromises the lower lobe and might compromise the upper lobe. The surgeon wants to leave as wide a margin as possible.
Thanks Mary for your comments, they are much appreciated and lowers my anxiety.
Onecoyote(Charlene)

maryaz

Hi one coyote; I am glad if I can help or at least give you something to think about. Don’t be misled by my stating how well my husband can get around. Your situation can be very different. At least you know it is not a definite case of not doing anything after a surgery.

My Dad back in the early 70’s had one lung removed. He still got around. He did not take good care of himself and also had blood pressure problems. Yet, he managed to get around pretty good. That was without a lot of what is available to day.

While I tell you some on the positive side, I am sure there are probably ones that go another direction. I want you to have hope but want to make sure that I don’t mislead you. A good doctor should be able to go over it good with you. My husband had a good surgeon and a good oncologist. BTW, did you ever get that booklet from Krames.

See if you can find out if any test was done on your husband to say what his breathing function is (FEV 1). Going up and down stairs and maintaining a 94 saturation is really not bad IMHO. I could be wrong but your husband sounds like probably not real seriously affected by the emphysema. Maybe with some good training in breathing methods and such could do okay. Just a thought.

My husband’s tumor was in the RLL and I can see where your surgeon would be concerned. Just stay positive for now. Have a good day. I will check back later. Doesn't take long to learn to hate cancer, huh? Mad

_________________
Mary

Husband is 67 year old Male
NSCLC - Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Chemo and Radiation Treatments together
Allergic reactions to Taxol and Taxotere.
The Story: http://www.cancerforums.net/about9079.html

UneasyRider · Regular Joined: 21 Aug 2008 Posts: 16

Hi onecoyote. With stage 2, doctors always want to do surgery if possible, because it gives much better odds for a cure. Even with stage 2 and surgery, there are options, though. A wedge resection, rather than a lobectomy, leaves more lung tissue, but again, lowers the odds of keeping a recurrence from happening. There are just so many possibilities, and every patient and every cancer is different. Even doctors can disagree on which way to go on a particular patient. Seeking another opinion might be a good idea.
_________________
57 year old male in Texas diagnosed with Stage II NSCLC in November, 2007
Treated with upper left lobectomy and 3 rounds of adjuvant chemotherapy
6 month CT scan shows lungs clear
My story is in this thread: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=39609#39609

onecoyote · Experienced user Joined: 15 Jul 2008 Posts: 66

Thanks Mary and Uneasyrider,
Mary, I am not painting myself a rosy picture, just wanted some hope of returning to a relatively normal(what's that?) life after the surgery. I will find out his FEV1 level when we meet with the surgeon on Monday and I will ask alot of questions.
Uneasyrider, I wish we could go for a second opinion however, my husband is at the VA which makes second opinions impossible( you get what you get there). I am not saying that his surgeon is bad or irresponsible, I just would like to go in there armed with as much info as I can(knowledge is power). The location of my husband's tumor is such that it encroaches on all right lobes. Right now the opinion is to take out the right middle and lower lobes and leave the upper lobe. That may change once the surgeon is in there and if he can not leave a wide enough margin and then will do a pneumonectomy.
Thanks for your comments and suggestions,
Onecoyote

maryaz

Best of luck with the week ahead of you onecoyote. I always refer to 'my normal' instead of normal. I have come to the conclusion years ago that no one is normal. What is normal. Smile

Have a decent week everyone, I hope.
_________________
Mary

Husband is 67 year old Male
NSCLC - Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Chemo and Radiation Treatments together
Allergic reactions to Taxol and Taxotere.
The Story: http://www.cancerforums.net/about9079.html

	Cancer Forums Forum Index -> Lung Cancer Forum	All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Page 1 of 1

A website for discussions about any type of cancer, including lung cancer, breast cancer, mesothelioma, prostate cancer, laryngeal cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and others