Newly Diagnosed NSCLC Stage 3B

rwmiller56

Hi, all,

I was diagnosed with stage 3B NSCLC in Dec 2021. It started with a 1.4 cm enlarged right hilar lymph node. This was biopsied (twice), and was confirmed NSCLC adenocarcinoma. By Jan 2022, I had developed a 2.8 cm enlarge paratracheal lymph node, and enlargement of the hilar to 1.9 cm. My disease was staged as 3B.

The brain scan came up clean.

I started chemotherapy at end of January 2022. It will be 6 treatments, 1 per month, until May. I am receiving Carboplatin, Pemetrexed and Avastin. I just had an interval CT/MRI performed. Both lymph nodes are stable, and the hilar has reduced by about 25%.

Unfortunately, I have the lung diseases emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis. According to the tumor board, I am not a good candidate for immunotherapy, due to the risk of pneumonitis. There is also a risk in radiation treatment, due to possible damage to the diseased lung tissue.

I should also mention that there is a nodule in my right adrenal gland. I had kidney cancer in 2015. The kidney was removed, but the disease went stage 4 with a met to my pelvis. I received radiation treatment for the met, and all has been well for over 5 years :-) In 2021, a nodule was spotted in the adrenal gland of my remaining kidney. We are waiting to see if it responds to chemo. Renal Cell Carcinoma typically does not respond to chemo. So far, the adrenal nodule is stable, so it is still indeterminate if if it is a NSCLC met.

I'm 2/3 finished with chemo, and I hope that I get a good response. So far, that is the only treatment that I have been offered.