If there is multiple Lung tumors why cant rads or cyberknife be done?

sleepless in jersey
sleepless in jersey Member Posts: 185
in Lung Cancer #1
If the lungs lately keep filling up with fluid and now just had pleurodesis done on 1 lung so far why cant rads be done or at least to the mother board?
I know there is no stupid quest. but ya feel stupid sometimes asking some questions when they just look at ya?
Mom is stage 4 with mets is that the reason, is it b/c there are multiple?
God Bless...

Comments

  • cabbott
    cabbott Member Posts: 1,039 Member
    #2
    No stupid questions!
    The way I understand cancer treatment is by comparing it to weeds. If you catch one dandelion in your yard and it is still at the yellow stage, the easiest way to control it is to pull it(Stage 1=surgery). But if the dandelion is already sending its little seeds everywhere, you have to spread herbicide around the yard as well as pull it to stop the invasion (stage 2 and 3+surgery +chemo). Once those pesty seeds have taken root in several parts of the yard, you might as well forget pulling weeds as it is a waste of time and will only make your back hurt. Then you just use the weed killer (stage 4=chemo only). In a few cases of stage 4 breast cancer, surgery or radiation is used to stop cancer from pressing on nerves or interferring with functioning. Lung surgery though has major major side effects, so doctors don't often mess with them if the positive effects are outweighed by those negative effects.

    I have both breast cancer and lung cancer, but my lung cancer is not related to the bc that came first. If the spots on her lungs are several in kind of a gunshot pattern rather than a single nodule and her breast cancer came first, she may have stage 4 breast cancer. See the best breast cancer oncologist you can get to if that is the case. I know the problem looks like it is in the lung, but if it is traveling breast cancer, then the chemo treatment will be the breast cancer drugs, not the lung cancer drugs. You may find lots of information about that on the breast cancer boards. Stage 4 breast cancer has a lot of different drugs out there to treat it because there is lots and lots more money put into breast cancer research. Good luck!
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    #3
    cabbott said:

    No stupid questions!
    The way I understand cancer treatment is by comparing it to weeds. If you catch one dandelion in your yard and it is still at the yellow stage, the easiest way to control it is to pull it(Stage 1=surgery). But if the dandelion is already sending its little seeds everywhere, you have to spread herbicide around the yard as well as pull it to stop the invasion (stage 2 and 3+surgery +chemo). Once those pesty seeds have taken root in several parts of the yard, you might as well forget pulling weeds as it is a waste of time and will only make your back hurt. Then you just use the weed killer (stage 4=chemo only). In a few cases of stage 4 breast cancer, surgery or radiation is used to stop cancer from pressing on nerves or interferring with functioning. Lung surgery though has major major side effects, so doctors don't often mess with them if the positive effects are outweighed by those negative effects.

    I have both breast cancer and lung cancer, but my lung cancer is not related to the bc that came first. If the spots on her lungs are several in kind of a gunshot pattern rather than a single nodule and her breast cancer came first, she may have stage 4 breast cancer. See the best breast cancer oncologist you can get to if that is the case. I know the problem looks like it is in the lung, but if it is traveling breast cancer, then the chemo treatment will be the breast cancer drugs, not the lung cancer drugs. You may find lots of information about that on the breast cancer boards. Stage 4 breast cancer has a lot of different drugs out there to treat it because there is lots and lots more money put into breast cancer research. Good luck!

    wow!
    What a great way to explain that! Awesome, really awesome!

    You are the lady!

    I hope all is well with you, my friend, and if you see me borrow this analogy in the future, I apologize for the theft in advance :).

    Take care,

    Joe
  • sleepless in jersey
    sleepless in jersey Member Posts: 185
    #4
    cabbott said:

    No stupid questions!
    The way I understand cancer treatment is by comparing it to weeds. If you catch one dandelion in your yard and it is still at the yellow stage, the easiest way to control it is to pull it(Stage 1=surgery). But if the dandelion is already sending its little seeds everywhere, you have to spread herbicide around the yard as well as pull it to stop the invasion (stage 2 and 3+surgery +chemo). Once those pesty seeds have taken root in several parts of the yard, you might as well forget pulling weeds as it is a waste of time and will only make your back hurt. Then you just use the weed killer (stage 4=chemo only). In a few cases of stage 4 breast cancer, surgery or radiation is used to stop cancer from pressing on nerves or interferring with functioning. Lung surgery though has major major side effects, so doctors don't often mess with them if the positive effects are outweighed by those negative effects.

    I have both breast cancer and lung cancer, but my lung cancer is not related to the bc that came first. If the spots on her lungs are several in kind of a gunshot pattern rather than a single nodule and her breast cancer came first, she may have stage 4 breast cancer. See the best breast cancer oncologist you can get to if that is the case. I know the problem looks like it is in the lung, but if it is traveling breast cancer, then the chemo treatment will be the breast cancer drugs, not the lung cancer drugs. You may find lots of information about that on the breast cancer boards. Stage 4 breast cancer has a lot of different drugs out there to treat it because there is lots and lots more money put into breast cancer research. Good luck!

    You explained that so well
    You sound like a teacher...LOL
    Im sorry I wrote before like I was texting and put b/c -(because )not breast cancer so sorry.
    Mom has mets to brain,spine and plevis no breast.
    Now I understand why no surgery, but still confused why no cyberknife to the big tumor on the lung and let the chemo do the rest of the tumors?
    Doesn't cyberknife just hit a very precise ray to that area?
    Thanks so much and God Bless
  • ann m
    ann m Member Posts: 30
    #5
    cabbott said:

    No stupid questions!
    The way I understand cancer treatment is by comparing it to weeds. If you catch one dandelion in your yard and it is still at the yellow stage, the easiest way to control it is to pull it(Stage 1=surgery). But if the dandelion is already sending its little seeds everywhere, you have to spread herbicide around the yard as well as pull it to stop the invasion (stage 2 and 3+surgery +chemo). Once those pesty seeds have taken root in several parts of the yard, you might as well forget pulling weeds as it is a waste of time and will only make your back hurt. Then you just use the weed killer (stage 4=chemo only). In a few cases of stage 4 breast cancer, surgery or radiation is used to stop cancer from pressing on nerves or interferring with functioning. Lung surgery though has major major side effects, so doctors don't often mess with them if the positive effects are outweighed by those negative effects.

    I have both breast cancer and lung cancer, but my lung cancer is not related to the bc that came first. If the spots on her lungs are several in kind of a gunshot pattern rather than a single nodule and her breast cancer came first, she may have stage 4 breast cancer. See the best breast cancer oncologist you can get to if that is the case. I know the problem looks like it is in the lung, but if it is traveling breast cancer, then the chemo treatment will be the breast cancer drugs, not the lung cancer drugs. You may find lots of information about that on the breast cancer boards. Stage 4 breast cancer has a lot of different drugs out there to treat it because there is lots and lots more money put into breast cancer research. Good luck!

    Very well done
    I have stage IV lung and found your explanation right on. I came back to read it again.
    Thank you

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