Bronchoalveolar Carcinoma

flower52
flower52 Member Posts: 4
in Lung Cancer #1
I am wondering if anyone has been diagnosed with BAC recently....I had adenocarcinoma both lungs with BAC features 5 years ago...I had wedge recection with chemo and Tarceva following....BAC progressing slowly but am now having a more difficult time....I wonder if this sounds familiar to anyone...thanks

Comments

  • cabbott
    cabbott Member Posts: 1,039 Member
    #2
    Similar
    I was also diagnosed with adenocarcinoma with BAC features in 2006. Mine was found very early and seemed to be confined to the middle right lobe which they removed. They told me that BAC often reappears in either lung, but it grows very slowly. Since I was 1-A, they did not offer me chemo or Tarceva, though they mentioned I may be having one or the other in the future. Right now there are 11 spots they keep an eye on (some on the right and some on the left), but according to my thoracic surgeon and my pulmonologist, none are growing or behaving like cancer. In other words, for now I am on watchful waiting. My surgeon says he will not stop seeing me for at least 8 years just in case...

    I am having a time with coughing. The pulmonologist says it is probably allergies and asthma, so I am on several meds for that. Of course, I always worry that it is the cancer showing up when I start having a coughing spell, but the doctors keep telling me that my lungs are currently stable as far as that goes. I'm glad of the good news, but today was a bad day for breathing anyhow.

    Have you been back to your oncologist for his or her read on things?
  • flower52
    flower52 Member Posts: 4
    #3
    cabbott said:

    Similar
    I was also diagnosed with adenocarcinoma with BAC features in 2006. Mine was found very early and seemed to be confined to the middle right lobe which they removed. They told me that BAC often reappears in either lung, but it grows very slowly. Since I was 1-A, they did not offer me chemo or Tarceva, though they mentioned I may be having one or the other in the future. Right now there are 11 spots they keep an eye on (some on the right and some on the left), but according to my thoracic surgeon and my pulmonologist, none are growing or behaving like cancer. In other words, for now I am on watchful waiting. My surgeon says he will not stop seeing me for at least 8 years just in case...

    I am having a time with coughing. The pulmonologist says it is probably allergies and asthma, so I am on several meds for that. Of course, I always worry that it is the cancer showing up when I start having a coughing spell, but the doctors keep telling me that my lungs are currently stable as far as that goes. I'm glad of the good news, but today was a bad day for breathing anyhow.

    Have you been back to your oncologist for his or her read on things?

    similar
    I go back every 6 months to Memorial Sloan in NYC....mine is also progressing slowly...lower lobes of both lungs and upper left lobe....I also have coughing fits....I told them I have never had a cough in my life but pulmonologist tells me my lungs are clear....CT scan shows all kinds of haziness, ground glass like materials etc....I was also diagnosed with pneumonia which I don't think I had....my oncologist says it is progressing but no treatment for at this time....I did go through major chemo which knocked 3 adenocarcinoma tumors out of my right lung....but did not help the BAC....as you know....it is resistant to traditional chemotherapy...and surgery is really the only way to eradicate it.....I also am having a more difficult time breathing and also attribute some of it to the weather....good to talk to you....usually when I say what I have I just get a blank stare... :)
  • cabbott
    cabbott Member Posts: 1,039 Member
    #4
    flower52 said:

    similar
    I go back every 6 months to Memorial Sloan in NYC....mine is also progressing slowly...lower lobes of both lungs and upper left lobe....I also have coughing fits....I told them I have never had a cough in my life but pulmonologist tells me my lungs are clear....CT scan shows all kinds of haziness, ground glass like materials etc....I was also diagnosed with pneumonia which I don't think I had....my oncologist says it is progressing but no treatment for at this time....I did go through major chemo which knocked 3 adenocarcinoma tumors out of my right lung....but did not help the BAC....as you know....it is resistant to traditional chemotherapy...and surgery is really the only way to eradicate it.....I also am having a more difficult time breathing and also attribute some of it to the weather....good to talk to you....usually when I say what I have I just get a blank stare... :)

    One more idea
    While yesterday I was coughing hard, today has been easier. I decided last night that I should get out my personal vaporizer and see if that would thin down things so I could breath a bit better. That plus all the usual meds seemed to help a lot.

    My pulmonologist says that allergies are really bad this year. I'm sure those things don't help.
  • flower52
    flower52 Member Posts: 4
    #5
    cabbott said:

    One more idea
    While yesterday I was coughing hard, today has been easier. I decided last night that I should get out my personal vaporizer and see if that would thin down things so I could breath a bit better. That plus all the usual meds seemed to help a lot.

    My pulmonologist says that allergies are really bad this year. I'm sure those things don't help.

    meds
    I do Advair 2X day with rescue inhaler as needed....but my oncologist said none of those things really will help....he mentioned a bunch of other meds along the same line but what's the point....for me to just sit or breathe calmly for a few minutes does the trick...what meds do you take on a regular basis....if any....again....good to talk to you....
  • cabbott
    cabbott Member Posts: 1,039 Member
    #6
    flower52 said:

    meds
    I do Advair 2X day with rescue inhaler as needed....but my oncologist said none of those things really will help....he mentioned a bunch of other meds along the same line but what's the point....for me to just sit or breathe calmly for a few minutes does the trick...what meds do you take on a regular basis....if any....again....good to talk to you....

    Med list
    I have a son on Advair. He did very well on it, but when I tried to take it, it made my mouth and anything I put in it (read food in general) taste horrible. I'm one of the few who can't take it, so it seems. We tried several other similar drugs that caused similar problems. Finally, this year we tried Symbicort 160 and that seemed to do the trick. I had a respiratory infection (maybe pneumonia??) around Christmas. I've taken doxicycline for that (no effect) and then Levaquin (seemed to work mostly but they made me stop after 7 days and I thought I needed 10 days to totally get rid of the infection). I have Albuterol (generic ProAir) as a rescue inhaler, but mostly the Symbicort is all I take for my lungs.

    I'm also taking selenium 2 X a day in case that helps. Probably a diet of root veggies would provide a better source of vitamins, but who knows if the pills really help lungs? The surgeon thought it wouldn't hurt even if the research is weak in showing any results. Low selenium levels are associated with lung cancer.

    For bones I take calcium 2 x a day (500 mg + D3). Once a week I take Fosamax.

    For general health I take a multi-vitamin like Centrum.

    For my brain I take vitamin B 12. Again, I don't know if it works, but it won't hurt. I have a problem with forgetting that is scary, at least to me. I like the cherry taste of the B 12 whether it works or not. The rest of the pills are a chore. Might as well have one treat....
  • Julie2011
    Julie2011 Member Posts: 58
    #7
    Bronchoalveolar Carcinoma
    I also have a suspicious nodule suspicious for Bronchoalveolar Carcinoma. It lit up on PET Scan (0.7 SUV). So there is a problem with this type of cancer reappearing? How are you doing? You know I had a terrible cough myself about 6 years ago that lasted like 3 months, but I also have moderate emphysema. Have you had any PET Scans done? How long was your recovery from your initial surgery 5 years ago? I am going to see a Thorasic Surgeon later this month. Any info from you would be greatly appreciated. Julie

Discussion Boards