21 Year Old NSMLC Adenocarcinoma Stage 4

stayalive

Hi All,

I need any info and help you can offer ... we just found out last week that my 21 year old son has Adenocarcinoma NSMLC Stage 4. There's a mass in his lower left lung and mets to his lymph nodes and heart. There's fluid in his heart and upon testing the fluid it contains cancer cells. He's starting chemo this Thur. He never smokes, is in perfect health prior - he was a diver in the marine and now he's in first year college and started a cough 4 months ago and we just found out about the Stage IV lung cancer. Please help. What can we do? Diet, supplements, etc etc? Would a miracle happen? He's so young and he didn't want to go. I would really hate to see him in pain. Please help.

medi_2

hello!
The only kind of supplements you will need are drinks like Ensure, Boost, Carnation Instant Breakfast etc. Don't try to load him up with antitoxidants; they will help the cancer cells grow too. He may lose his appetite, so let him eat anything he can get down and keep down. He is young and strong, he can do it! I beat it and I am 53. I didn't have the heart complications but I had the chemo and rads and I have no evidence of disease for 2 years now. I never stopped running while in treatment. I don't consider it a miracle because for some odd reason I felt like I was in control. Good luck to you and your son and keep writing! We will help.
Cheers
Medi

stayalive

medi_2 said:

hello!
The only kind of supplements you will need are drinks like Ensure, Boost, Carnation Instant Breakfast etc. Don't try to load him up with antitoxidants; they will help the cancer cells grow too. He may lose his appetite, so let him eat anything he can get down and keep down. He is young and strong, he can do it! I beat it and I am 53. I didn't have the heart complications but I had the chemo and rads and I have no evidence of disease for 2 years now. I never stopped running while in treatment. I don't consider it a miracle because for some odd reason I felt like I was in control. Good luck to you and your son and keep writing! We will help.
Cheers
Medi

Thanks for your encouragement
Thank you Medi for sharing your story. It is very encouraging. We want to be strong but sometimes the unknown can be very intimidating. We will continue to think positive and pray for the best.

NayPaul

medi_2 said:

hello!
The only kind of supplements you will need are drinks like Ensure, Boost, Carnation Instant Breakfast etc. Don't try to load him up with antitoxidants; they will help the cancer cells grow too. He may lose his appetite, so let him eat anything he can get down and keep down. He is young and strong, he can do it! I beat it and I am 53. I didn't have the heart complications but I had the chemo and rads and I have no evidence of disease for 2 years now. I never stopped running while in treatment. I don't consider it a miracle because for some odd reason I felt like I was in control. Good luck to you and your son and keep writing! We will help.
Cheers
Medi

stage iv thoughts
When my wife wwas diagnosed stage iv. On september 10.... we went into shock. Now... 2 months later the chemo has done wonders,, no cough, no wheezing, no pain meds (except after the chhemo tratments).... she is keeping a full schedule, and this last week has walked several miles each day. And....as she points out, she no longeer needds to color ber hair.

Your sons youth makes a diagnosis extra tragic...... but it is also that youth that will help him endure treatments, and speed recovery.

Unknown

This comment has been removed by the Moderator

stayalive

NayPaul said:

stage iv thoughts
When my wife wwas diagnosed stage iv. On september 10.... we went into shock. Now... 2 months later the chemo has done wonders,, no cough, no wheezing, no pain meds (except after the chhemo tratments).... she is keeping a full schedule, and this last week has walked several miles each day. And....as she points out, she no longeer needds to color ber hair.

Your sons youth makes a diagnosis extra tragic...... but it is also that youth that will help him endure treatments, and speed recovery.

Stage IV Thoughts
Hi NayPaul,

Thank you so much for responding to my post. I really need any kind of support I can get at this time. My family is still in shock and I'm already feeling the heartbreak of seeing my son suffer through the process. I'm trying to stay postive but the unfortunate is the heart has been invaded and I'm worried. We were told that the chemo will be 6-8 months and I just pray and hope that it will all go well. It is really great hearing about your wife. I send you my best thoughts.

stayalive

unknown said:

This comment has been removed by the Moderator

Thank You
Hi RoseP,

Thank you for your advice about finding a good hospital & oncologist. I agree that finding the best medical care definitely helps, if anything, the confidence and assurance that we are in the best hands. Our struggle is also to start the treatment as soon as possible as we were told that's critical.

I'm sorry that your mom's chemos did not go well. I will pray for your mom ... I do pray that you will find an option that will work for your mom. I surfed the internet as well and there are so many recommendations ... we won't know if we didn't try. Thank you for responding to my post. It makes me feel I'm not alone.

phelangelica

medi_2 said:

hello!
The only kind of supplements you will need are drinks like Ensure, Boost, Carnation Instant Breakfast etc. Don't try to load him up with antitoxidants; they will help the cancer cells grow too. He may lose his appetite, so let him eat anything he can get down and keep down. He is young and strong, he can do it! I beat it and I am 53. I didn't have the heart complications but I had the chemo and rads and I have no evidence of disease for 2 years now. I never stopped running while in treatment. I don't consider it a miracle because for some odd reason I felt like I was in control. Good luck to you and your son and keep writing! We will help.
Cheers
Medi

Incorrect
Medi, im sorry to say much of that information is incorrect. Sugar feeds cancer, so products like ensure boost and carnation instant breakfast are the worst thing a cancer patient could consume. Antioxidants are your friends. They are very important and that has been proven repeatedly in cancer research.

A book that I highly recommend is How To Prevent and Treat Cancer With Natural Medicine http://www.amazon.com/Prevent-Treat-Cancer-Natural-Medicine/dp/1573223433/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1289582420&sr=8-1

There are a zillion books on the subject of cancer and nutrition, and I read half of them. They all say a lot of the same stuff: Cut out sugar completely. Supplement with Curcumin, Vit C, Quercitin, Maitake D Faction, fish oil, inositol etc etc but I found the murray book above to be so useful because he streamlines down to the best of the best natural remedies and supports his recommendations with research and he makes specific suggestions for cancer types, he also includes a letter to your oncologist and strives to be really compatible with allopathic treatment.

I also like this cookbook, the cancer fighting kitchen, http://www.amazon.com/Cancer-Fighting-Kitchen-Nourishing-Big-Flavor-Treatment/dp/1587613441/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289582506&sr=8-1 which has a great index of ingredients that counter inflammation and a million tips on how to adjust flavors and textures to support cancer patients through treatments.

You are correct though that exercise is very important. I wish the best to you all and your family!

phelangelica

Dont give up! Supplement and exercise!
im sorry to say much of that information which Medi posted is incorrect. Sugar feeds cancer, so products like ensure boost and carnation instant breakfast are the worst thing a cancer patient could consume. Antioxidants are your friends. They are very important and that has been proven repeatedly in cancer research.

A book that I highly recommend is How To Prevent and Treat Cancer With Natural Medicine http://www.amazon.com/Prevent-Treat-Cancer-Natural-Medicine/dp/1573223433/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1289582420&sr=8-1

There are a zillion books on the subject of cancer and nutrition, and I read half of them. They all say a lot of the same stuff: Cut out sugar completely. Supplement with Curcumin, Vit C, Quercitin, Maitake D Faction, fish oil, inositol etc etc but I found the murray book above to be so useful because he streamlines down to the best of the best natural remedies and supports his recommendations with research and he makes specific suggestions for cancer types, he also includes a letter to your oncologist and strives to be really compatible with allopathic treatment.

I also like this cookbook, the cancer fighting kitchen, http://www.amazon.com/Cancer-Fighting-Kitchen-Nourishing-Big-Flavor-Treatment/dp/1587613441/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289582506&sr=8-1 which has a great index of ingredients that counter inflammation and a million tips on how to adjust flavors and textures to support cancer patients through treatments.

You are correct though that exercise is very important. I wish the best to you all and your family!

NayPaul

phelangelica said:

Dont give up! Supplement and exercise!
im sorry to say much of that information which Medi posted is incorrect. Sugar feeds cancer, so products like ensure boost and carnation instant breakfast are the worst thing a cancer patient could consume. Antioxidants are your friends. They are very important and that has been proven repeatedly in cancer research.

A book that I highly recommend is How To Prevent and Treat Cancer With Natural Medicine http://www.amazon.com/Prevent-Treat-Cancer-Natural-Medicine/dp/1573223433/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1289582420&sr=8-1

There are a zillion books on the subject of cancer and nutrition, and I read half of them. They all say a lot of the same stuff: Cut out sugar completely. Supplement with Curcumin, Vit C, Quercitin, Maitake D Faction, fish oil, inositol etc etc but I found the murray book above to be so useful because he streamlines down to the best of the best natural remedies and supports his recommendations with research and he makes specific suggestions for cancer types, he also includes a letter to your oncologist and strives to be really compatible with allopathic treatment.

I also like this cookbook, the cancer fighting kitchen, http://www.amazon.com/Cancer-Fighting-Kitchen-Nourishing-Big-Flavor-Treatment/dp/1587613441/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289582506&sr=8-1 which has a great index of ingredients that counter inflammation and a million tips on how to adjust flavors and textures to support cancer patients through treatments.

You are correct though that exercise is very important. I wish the best to you all and your family!

sugar feeds all cells
Enough with the sugar feeds cancer... glycose feeds all cells, and your body will produce it.... again .... I don't disagree that cancer utilizes sugar.... but so do all cells, and the brain is the most metabolic of all....

So tell your son to eat what he wants while in chemo..... or just ask your doctors advice on this one.

medi_2

phelangelica said:

Incorrect
Medi, im sorry to say much of that information is incorrect. Sugar feeds cancer, so products like ensure boost and carnation instant breakfast are the worst thing a cancer patient could consume. Antioxidants are your friends. They are very important and that has been proven repeatedly in cancer research.

A book that I highly recommend is How To Prevent and Treat Cancer With Natural Medicine http://www.amazon.com/Prevent-Treat-Cancer-Natural-Medicine/dp/1573223433/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1289582420&sr=8-1

There are a zillion books on the subject of cancer and nutrition, and I read half of them. They all say a lot of the same stuff: Cut out sugar completely. Supplement with Curcumin, Vit C, Quercitin, Maitake D Faction, fish oil, inositol etc etc but I found the murray book above to be so useful because he streamlines down to the best of the best natural remedies and supports his recommendations with research and he makes specific suggestions for cancer types, he also includes a letter to your oncologist and strives to be really compatible with allopathic treatment.

I also like this cookbook, the cancer fighting kitchen, http://www.amazon.com/Cancer-Fighting-Kitchen-Nourishing-Big-Flavor-Treatment/dp/1587613441/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289582506&sr=8-1 which has a great index of ingredients that counter inflammation and a million tips on how to adjust flavors and textures to support cancer patients through treatments.

You are correct though that exercise is very important. I wish the best to you all and your family!

hullo!
I've read arguments for both sides and have come to my own conclusions but will not venture to say what is 'correct' and 'not correct', I only know what works for me and when I see someone 50 or more pounds under their ideal weight, I don't think instant breakfast is going to do much harm. Also the 'sugar feeds cancer' debate rages on but I think people are taking it too literaly (H & S, where are you? ). But as all cancers are not alike, so all treatments are not alike and different strokes for different folks (oh gosh I sound like a dork). Welcome to our site and we look forward to hearing more from you!
Medi

stayalive

NayPaul said:

sugar feeds all cells
Enough with the sugar feeds cancer... glycose feeds all cells, and your body will produce it.... again .... I don't disagree that cancer utilizes sugar.... but so do all cells, and the brain is the most metabolic of all....

So tell your son to eat what he wants while in chemo..... or just ask your doctors advice on this one.

Diet
Thank you NayPaul. I think it is a good advice to have my son eat whatever he can keep down. He is starting his first chemo tomorrow so we will see how it is affecting him. We did talk to the doctor and his advice is it is best not to take any chinese herbs/supplements that may interfere with the drugs but of course we are not clear what those are that may interfere. Thank you for your advice. Having folks out there to just share is very encouraging.

stayalive

phelangelica said:

Dont give up! Supplement and exercise!
im sorry to say much of that information which Medi posted is incorrect. Sugar feeds cancer, so products like ensure boost and carnation instant breakfast are the worst thing a cancer patient could consume. Antioxidants are your friends. They are very important and that has been proven repeatedly in cancer research.

A book that I highly recommend is How To Prevent and Treat Cancer With Natural Medicine http://www.amazon.com/Prevent-Treat-Cancer-Natural-Medicine/dp/1573223433/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1289582420&sr=8-1

There are a zillion books on the subject of cancer and nutrition, and I read half of them. They all say a lot of the same stuff: Cut out sugar completely. Supplement with Curcumin, Vit C, Quercitin, Maitake D Faction, fish oil, inositol etc etc but I found the murray book above to be so useful because he streamlines down to the best of the best natural remedies and supports his recommendations with research and he makes specific suggestions for cancer types, he also includes a letter to your oncologist and strives to be really compatible with allopathic treatment.

I also like this cookbook, the cancer fighting kitchen, http://www.amazon.com/Cancer-Fighting-Kitchen-Nourishing-Big-Flavor-Treatment/dp/1587613441/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289582506&sr=8-1 which has a great index of ingredients that counter inflammation and a million tips on how to adjust flavors and textures to support cancer patients through treatments.

You are correct though that exercise is very important. I wish the best to you all and your family!

Books
Thank you Phelangelica. I will look up the books on Amazon.com, they are most helpful. Thank you also for your well wishes. We are going to do any little thing that will help.

shaun65

hola
hola my name is shaun i am from barcelona spain, i read your story of your son and i feel your pain. your son seems like a very strong and active man and has faced many hard things in his career and i think this good, he will fight this and he has the beautiful love from his mother and family . that is the most important your son has and he will beat this i am sure. my mother was told she had lung cancer in august she has just had surgery, she told me to tell you we will light a candle for you and your son at our church this night. take care and please forgive me for my bad english spelling. shaun

stayalive

shaun65 said:

hola
hola my name is shaun i am from barcelona spain, i read your story of your son and i feel your pain. your son seems like a very strong and active man and has faced many hard things in his career and i think this good, he will fight this and he has the beautiful love from his mother and family . that is the most important your son has and he will beat this i am sure. my mother was told she had lung cancer in august she has just had surgery, she told me to tell you we will light a candle for you and your son at our church this night. take care and please forgive me for my bad english spelling. shaun

Hola
Hola Shaun. Thank you so very much for thinking of us and lighting a candle for us. We do appreciate it very very much. My son is going for his 2nd chemo session tomorrow, then he's off for 1 week before he starts another round of treatment. We are praying and hoping that he will respond to the drugs. He has lost much weight and we are spending as much time with him and continuing to keep him positive. Thank you all for your prayers.

By chance can anyone tell me when would one normally start losing hair during the chemo treatments? For e.g, would it be after the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc cycles?

Thanks much to all for your support.

NayPaul

stayalive said:

Hola
Hola Shaun. Thank you so very much for thinking of us and lighting a candle for us. We do appreciate it very very much. My son is going for his 2nd chemo session tomorrow, then he's off for 1 week before he starts another round of treatment. We are praying and hoping that he will respond to the drugs. He has lost much weight and we are spending as much time with him and continuing to keep him positive. Thank you all for your prayers.

By chance can anyone tell me when would one normally start losing hair during the chemo treatments? For e.g, would it be after the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc cycles?

Thanks much to all for your support.

hair loss
It is kind of dependent on the person, type and quanity of chemo...my wife is on taxol and did not start losing hers until five weeks in.

mamacita5

stayalive said:

Hola
Hola Shaun. Thank you so very much for thinking of us and lighting a candle for us. We do appreciate it very very much. My son is going for his 2nd chemo session tomorrow, then he's off for 1 week before he starts another round of treatment. We are praying and hoping that he will respond to the drugs. He has lost much weight and we are spending as much time with him and continuing to keep him positive. Thank you all for your prayers.

By chance can anyone tell me when would one normally start losing hair during the chemo treatments? For e.g, would it be after the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc cycles?

Thanks much to all for your support.

Hair Loss
I was on cisplatin and vinorelbine and was told that I would lose my hair fairly quickly. I went to the hairdresser and she cut it short in anticipation of the hair loss...guess what?? I didn't lose a hair on my head! I had purchased my wigs and some snazzy scarfs and didn't get to wear them. My hair grows very slowly so perhaps the chemo did not recognize my hair cells as "rapidly" dividing cells. I was worried that it meant the chemo might not be working, but was reassured that it was.

stayingcalm

phelangelica said:

Dont give up! Supplement and exercise!
im sorry to say much of that information which Medi posted is incorrect. Sugar feeds cancer, so products like ensure boost and carnation instant breakfast are the worst thing a cancer patient could consume. Antioxidants are your friends. They are very important and that has been proven repeatedly in cancer research.

A book that I highly recommend is How To Prevent and Treat Cancer With Natural Medicine http://www.amazon.com/Prevent-Treat-Cancer-Natural-Medicine/dp/1573223433/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1289582420&sr=8-1

There are a zillion books on the subject of cancer and nutrition, and I read half of them. They all say a lot of the same stuff: Cut out sugar completely. Supplement with Curcumin, Vit C, Quercitin, Maitake D Faction, fish oil, inositol etc etc but I found the murray book above to be so useful because he streamlines down to the best of the best natural remedies and supports his recommendations with research and he makes specific suggestions for cancer types, he also includes a letter to your oncologist and strives to be really compatible with allopathic treatment.

I also like this cookbook, the cancer fighting kitchen, http://www.amazon.com/Cancer-Fighting-Kitchen-Nourishing-Big-Flavor-Treatment/dp/1587613441/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289582506&sr=8-1 which has a great index of ingredients that counter inflammation and a million tips on how to adjust flavors and textures to support cancer patients through treatments.

You are correct though that exercise is very important. I wish the best to you all and your family!

phelangelica,
I'm not sure why you keep harping on the idea that sugar feeds cancer. There is no real and substantiated science supporting that position. A person can eat healthily without cutting out sugar (and cutting out all sugar can be very harmful, actually). TOO much sugar can cause the body to produce too much insulin, which is what can make cancer cells grow. If a person eats a balance of things, including fiber and protein, there's no need to cut out sugars, and their insulin level stays in balance. And furthermore, as Medi said, most oncologists ask that their patients not load up on antioxidants and supplements during treatment, as the antioxidants protect the cancer cells as well as the healthy cells. Not exactly the point of treatment!

*my last rant on this subject*

Stayingcalm

stayalive

mamacita5 said:

Hair Loss
I was on cisplatin and vinorelbine and was told that I would lose my hair fairly quickly. I went to the hairdresser and she cut it short in anticipation of the hair loss...guess what?? I didn't lose a hair on my head! I had purchased my wigs and some snazzy scarfs and didn't get to wear them. My hair grows very slowly so perhaps the chemo did not recognize my hair cells as "rapidly" dividing cells. I was worried that it meant the chemo might not be working, but was reassured that it was.

Hair Loss
Thank you NayPaul and Mamacita for sharing about hairloss. My son is on gematamine and cisplatin. Thank you for all the useful info.

HeartofSoul

stayalive said:

Hair Loss
Thank you NayPaul and Mamacita for sharing about hairloss. My son is on gematamine and cisplatin. Thank you for all the useful info.

Scary claims circulate on
Scary claims circulate on the Internet that everyday objects and products, such as plastic and deodorant, are secret cancer causes. Beyond being wrong, many of these myths may cause you to worry unnecessarily about your own health and the health of your family.

Before you panic, take a look at the facts. Here, Timothy Moynihan, M.D., a cancer specialist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., takes a closer look at some popular myths about cancer causes and explains why they just aren't true.


Myth 1: People with cancer shouldn't eat sugar, since it can cause cancer to grow faster.

Fact: Sugar doesn't make cancer grow faster. All cells, including cancer cells, depend on blood sugar (glucose) for energy. But giving more sugar to cancer cells doesn't speed their growth. Likewise, depriving cancer cells of sugar doesn't slow their growth.

This misconception may be based in part on a misunderstanding of positron emission tomography (PET) scans, which use a small amount of radioactive tracer — typically a form of glucose. All tissues in your body absorb some of this tracer, but tissues that are using more energy — including cancer cells — absorb greater amounts. For this reason, some people have concluded that cancer cells grow faster on sugar. But this isn't true.

phelangelica

Evidence that "extra" Sugar corrupts cells
One of several such studies reported in Science Daily - dated Feb 6 2010
below exerpt from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205112105.htm

Suspecting that the sugar known as O-GlcNAc might play a role in cell division, the Johns Hopkins team devised a protein-mapping scheme using new mass spectrometric methods. Essentially, they applied a combination of chemical modification and enrichment methods, and new fragmentation technology to proteins that comprise the cell division machinery in order to out and analyze their molecular makeup, identifying more than 150 sites where the sugar molecule known as O-GlcNAc was attached. Phosphates were found to be attached at more than 300 sites...

....Using a standard human cell line (HeLa cells), the scientists discovered abnormalities when they disrupted the cell division process by adding extra of the sugar molecule O-GlcNAc. Although the cell's chromosome-containing nuclei divided normally, the cells themselves didn't divide, resulting in too many nuclei per cell -- a condition known as polyploidy that's exhibited by many cancer cells...

As important as the discovery is to a deeper understanding of cell division, Hart says, this extensive cross talk between O-GlcNAc and phosphorylation is paradigm-shifting in terms of signaling. Signaling is how a cell perceives its environment, and how it regulates its machinery in response to stimuli. The new sugar switches reveal that the cellular circuitry is much more complex than previously thought, he adds.

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Johns Hopkins authors on the paper are Zihao Wang, Chad Slawson, Kaoru Sakabe, Win D. Cheung and Gerald W. Hart. Other authors are Namrata D. Udeshi, Philip D. Compton, Jeffrey Shabanowitz and Donald F. Hunt, all of the University of Virginia.