Help with Prognosis

concernedwife · New User Joined: 25 Aug 2008 Posts: 6

Please help my 58 yr old husband, was diagnosed in april with sclc, surgery no option, he has finished 3 rounds of chemo , very weak, still losing weight, has lost about 70 lbs, down to 130 lbs. Dr not saying much of anything except that chemo is working, but lat ct scan said :after 3 rounds of chemo ct report said , satellite nodule in right upper lobe has decreased from 8 x14 mil to 5 x8, hilar mass decreased from 28 x 49 mil to 21 x 35 mil , but interval development of 8 mil endobronchial nodule in the bronchus intermedius, basilar infiltrate in lower Left lobe, review of the bone windows shows numerous lytic skeletal lesions throughout thorax, nodule has developed in left adrenal gland 17 x 20 mill. numerous skeletal lesions throughout spine.. dr's impression: improvement in the thoracic disease in relation to decrease in size of right hilar mass and satellite right upper lobe nodule, but there is obvious progression of disease with diffuse skeletal lytic involvement as well as an endobronchial lesion in the bronchus intermedius.

I don't understand, How can it be working, Dr has not said how many treatments he will have or if it is going to let him live longer.,..... any opinions ?

pbj11 · Site Admin Joined: 12 May 2007 Posts: 1407

Hi Concerned,

I'm so very sorry to hear of your husband's diagnosis. My husband had NSCLC and he did have the experience of new tumor growth while the initial tumors were shrinking. I had a hard time wrapping my mind around that. Why would new tumors grow if the others were responding? I found that there is no rhyme or reason for how cancer likes to grow.

Are the doctors suggesting a change of regimen? It sounds like there has been quite a bit of spread. Often they will put a patient on Zometa, which strengthens the bones to try and prevent future bone mets.

You need to think of the questions that you want answered, write them down, and really push for some answers.

For professional opinions on-line, there is always Dr. West, an oncologist with a specialty in lung cancer. He actually answers questions on his website and has been a God-send to many. You can find him and his forums at CancerGRACE.org.

Many best wishes to you and your husband. This is such a difficult disease fraught with a lot of ups and downs. I'm sorry again.

Hugs,
PBJ
_________________
Husband diagnosed with NSCLC Stage IV. (Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer) Fought & lived 2 1/2 years with multiple lines of treatment.

Post describing our battle: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=7026&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Ckim · Experienced user Joined: 15 Aug 2008 Posts: 57

I am very sorry to hear about what you are going through. sclc is probably the hardest of all lung cancers to survive, but they are making new strides every day!

Make your questions to the doc very clear. Possibly they find that any tumor shrinkage is a positive development and from what I have read about sclc, even two more months of life is a victory--and I read that over 18 months ago--so who knows how much progress they have made since then?

Every patient and every round of chemo breaks new ground.

But, a sclc dx is very grim and you should have all the facts so that you can prepare yourself and your husband for whatever is to come. Remember though that the cancer can only kill you if it interferes with something you need to live--so even though it might be very prevalent in the lungs, if your husband can still breath and get air, he can still live.

My dad is fighting very hard and going through chemo again (ncslc). But, the cancer is so pervasive and he gets weaker with every treatment, I don't know what the future holds. I know that it is probable that the cancer will eventually kill him.

But, until it does, we will fight every day and live every day, and not be dying every day.

Have hope, get your answers, and be blunt. Don't be afraid to demand those answers. And if you don't get them from his doctor then seek them elsewhere. You have the right to know what all that medical lingo means and what the doctors mean by giving him the treatments and what you might expect.

I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers!

dano · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 2:44 am Post subject: Re: Help with Prognosis

Hi Concerned;
I'm sorry to hear the condition your husband is in. I personally have a similar barrage of words on some of my paper work, I shared some of it with Brainman and he informed me more of what the words meant, and opened my eyes. Now I'm using http://www.cancer.gov/ to look up the words and learn more. Going through the effects of chemo I didn't know which end was up at times, just felt bad and laid around a lot. I had no energy at times and didn't care about much of anything. Fortunately it didn't stay that way and I began to feel better. I wish the same for your husband, that he fights through this valley and has the chance to go over some more mountain tops before he gets stuck in a valley. I'm hoping the same, just reach another mountain top, what ever it may be.

Praying for the two of you.
God Bless
Dan
_________________
54 year old male in Hawaii
Diagnosed Nov. 9,2007 with NSCLC IV
with Mets to the lymphs and brain
Had full brain radiation treatment in Jan 08
Currently on chemo treatments every 3 weeks
with Alimta
and taking Lovenox for blood clots
Now back to work full time
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=9993

Ckim · Experienced user Joined: 15 Aug 2008 Posts: 57

In case you missed this posting--read this:
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8956

They are making strides in helping people with sclc. This is a very encouraging story with other words of encouragement from other posters.

There is always a reason to fight and to hope.

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