Questions about my dear friend's diagnosis

missrenee
missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member
in Lung Cancer #1
Hi everyone--I'm actually on the breast cancer forum here with Stage IV breast cancer with bone mets. I have a friend (actually my Chemo Angel) who was just diagnosed with "inoperable Stage 3 lung cancer." She has had symptoms for 2 years, with periodic testing but nothing showed up until this past March. Apparently, one of her lungs looked like "fireworks" going off. Then she had a bronchoscopy which gave her the diagnosis followed by a PET scan that showed mets to her lymph nodes in her neck. She has been on a treatment of Taxotere and Carboplatin with a scan due next week to see if it is effective. There will be no surgery.

I now know quite a bit about breast cancer, but not much about lung cancer. Is anyone here in a similar situation? I was just trying to obtain some knowledge about her condition.

Thank you all for any advice or info you can give me.

Hugs, Renee (aka Missrenee from the breast cancer forum)

Comments

  • Dapsterd
    Dapsterd Member Posts: 291
    #2
    Experience
    Hello There....I have some experience with this.
    Now stage IV, but originally IIIB. Large tumor in right upper lung and chest lymphs. 6 mo of weekly chemo and 6 wks of daily radiation to the chest and back. My chemo was carbo and taxol. My chest and back where burned pretty darn good, but I did not have the throat swallowing issues many have.
    2 yrs later now NED, but i did have mets to brain which required surgery and couple hits of gamma knife this past Dec/Jan.
    It's really impossible to say what your friend will experience with their cancer...as you well know. But... I am good till next scan in July !!!????

    Going through a bit of "direction in life" issues in my mind !!! But all is quite well!

    Best wishes....
    Dave
  • Ex_Rock_n_Roller
    Ex_Rock_n_Roller Member Posts: 281 Member
    #3
    Another two-year IIIB vet here
    Profile similar to Dave's, except my menu choices for poison were Cisplatin and Etoposide. Also similar experience to your friend in the early symptoms but faulty ID of the cause until too late (in my opinion).

    No experience with chemo alone, though. Hopefully your friend will get good results; it does happen.

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