Mom Has Recurrence-Comments Suggestions Needed

Unknown
Unknown
edited March 2014 in Lung Cancer #1
Hello Everyone!

I don't post very much on this board (spend most of my time on the colon cancer board as I am caregiver to my husband, diagnosed stage III 7/03 and may have possible recurrence...will know more about that next week) but I read many, many posts as I am also caregiver to my mom, diagnosed inoperable stage III lung cancer 9/02.

Upon diagnosis, mom underwent chemo as well a radiation and was literally in clinical remission in 3/03. The onc told her she had the best response they could have expected from her chemo treatments, which were only four, three weeks apart, followed by six weeks of radiation. Chemo shrunk her tumor by over 30% and radiation wiped out the rest.

In May, a small spot appeared on her left hip bone...this has been watched regularly and has not grown any. All other scans (PET, MRI, Bone) remained clean.

On December 29, routine PET was done. Found out Friday, 1/15 that a new 1.5cm met is now in her right lung. Spot on hip remains exactly the same. It goes without saying that I am totally devasted. This lady has been my strength throughout my husband's diagnosis and now with the possibility of his having come back as well, I am absolutely besides myself.

My mom's onc has proposed the following and I'm just not sure it's the right way to go. He would like to radiate the small growth on her hip bone and has assured us that two to three weeks of radiation will totally take care of it and provide her with more comfort (mom is very active and it has been bothering her just a little bit). However, with her lung met, his recommendation is go for quality as well as quantity. He would like to have her come in every month so he can evaluate her and of course, do PETs every 3 months. If and when her met starts to bother her, he would then like to put her back on chemo. He told my mother that this met could be surgically removed however, he explained that to do so would mean 6 to 8 weeks recuperation without any guarantees that another one may not develop while she is recuperating or shortly thereafter since obviously the chemo that she was on, while having a tremendous effect on her lung tumor, did not kill off all the cancer as this recurrence is most likely a micrometasteses. He did not mention radiation to this new met, which is a question I will be asking him next week.

My mom really likes her oncologist but I'm just not sure this is the right way to go. My thoughts are get it when it's small...treat it now, not when she develops symptoms. He feels though that she should have a few good months and then he can put her on chemo and still buy her time.

I am so confused and hurt so deeply, I cannot even begin to find the words. Dealing with this awful disease on two fronts with two people that mean the whole world to me at the same time is wearing me out and I am beginning to not be able to be of any support to either my mom or my husband.

Can anyone share anything with me on what would be the best course to follow with my mom. If more details are needed, let me know. Please, I am grasping straws and don't know where to begin.

Thank you to all.

Comments

  • michaelcie
    michaelcie Member Posts: 133
    #2
    hi , I am mike, small cell lung cancer, am inoperable and in remission almost two years. I had four chemos and six and a half weeks rads. I would immediately get a second opinion. You now know what her oncologist plans to do and the proceedure he plans to follow, with all this in place you can now openly ask for a second opinion and see if you get the same advice. First of all, it is her life, your Mother, and her treatment. While the oncologist feels there is time for treatment gives you time to seek a second opinion. Well God bless and in my prayers and hugssss Mike
  • bobmc
    bobmc Member Posts: 47
    #3
    Hello Monikaz;
    So very sorry to hear of your mom and husband, you do have your crosses to bear, but I have a feeling from your post that you do it quite well.
    Like your mom, I am also dealing with a recurrance of this beast after 2&1/2 of being cancer free. I think your right on in your assessment of getting it early and I would get a second opinion. And, by the way, good doctors not only welcome them but encourage them. There's also alot of new treatments out there. I had been reading about "seed implants" for tumors similar to your moms,(can't remember what's its called) which might be an option to the lung radiation. Point is your moms disease does not
    appear to be "bulky" so I would go after it.
    Now, I'm not a doc, don't know all the facts like her age and health status and I assume she has NSCLC but I do believe in fightin this beast as hard as I can. You do have some "tuff stuff" that Gods chosen you for and you and your family will be in my prayers.
    I can be reached by PM here on ACS or at lungcancersurvivors.org if you need to talk.
    God bless and hang in there!
    Bobmc- NSCLC- stageIIB- left pneumonectomy 5/2/01;
    2 brain mets found 12/18/03- WBR begun 1/13
    "absolutely insist on enjoying life today"
  • quazter3
    quazter3 Member Posts: 4
    #4
    michaelcie said:

    hi , I am mike, small cell lung cancer, am inoperable and in remission almost two years. I had four chemos and six and a half weeks rads. I would immediately get a second opinion. You now know what her oncologist plans to do and the proceedure he plans to follow, with all this in place you can now openly ask for a second opinion and see if you get the same advice. First of all, it is her life, your Mother, and her treatment. While the oncologist feels there is time for treatment gives you time to seek a second opinion. Well God bless and in my prayers and hugssss Mike

    Hello Mike ,I have the same ,also inoperable,the chemo almost kills it,then it comes back.Did you do any herbal medicine, Do you know any thing to help me? Thanks for being alive!!! That in its self gives me hope.Tonya
  • michaelcie
    michaelcie Member Posts: 133
    #5
    quazter3 said:

    Hello Mike ,I have the same ,also inoperable,the chemo almost kills it,then it comes back.Did you do any herbal medicine, Do you know any thing to help me? Thanks for being alive!!! That in its self gives me hope.Tonya

    hi Tonya, yes I take co-Q 10 , and a-c-e vitamins, I don't know if they help but I am still here and in remission. I just got my blood work back, is excellent and scan shows no activity in the tumor that exists. hugsss and bless mike
  • michaelcie
    michaelcie Member Posts: 133
    #6
    quazter3 said:

    Hello Mike ,I have the same ,also inoperable,the chemo almost kills it,then it comes back.Did you do any herbal medicine, Do you know any thing to help me? Thanks for being alive!!! That in its self gives me hope.Tonya

    hi Tonya, yes I take co-Q 10 , and a-c-e vitamins, I don't know if they help but I am still here and in remission. I just got my blood work back, is excellent and scan shows no activity in the tumor that exists. hugsss and bless mike
  • edellis
    edellis Member Posts: 1
    #7
    My friend's father had lung cancer, kidney cancer and lymph node cancer in september 2001. The hospital sent him home to hospice to die. Christina, his daughter, refused to accept that. She sent him to a special hospital. They detoxed him, put him on heavy doses of vitamins and sent him home after 3 weeks there. It is now almost 3 years later. He is completely free of cancer. If you need more information, please contact me. I really want to help. My name is Ed Ellis. My phone number is 440-537-2226
  • LadyJ
    LadyJ Member Posts: 2
    #8
    quazter3 said:

    Hello Mike ,I have the same ,also inoperable,the chemo almost kills it,then it comes back.Did you do any herbal medicine, Do you know any thing to help me? Thanks for being alive!!! That in its self gives me hope.Tonya

    Tonya, my Mom has started using shark cartlidge. You have to use the one that has not been heated, though.
  • Carolyn48
    Carolyn48 Member Posts: 7
    #9
    michaelcie said:

    hi , I am mike, small cell lung cancer, am inoperable and in remission almost two years. I had four chemos and six and a half weeks rads. I would immediately get a second opinion. You now know what her oncologist plans to do and the proceedure he plans to follow, with all this in place you can now openly ask for a second opinion and see if you get the same advice. First of all, it is her life, your Mother, and her treatment. While the oncologist feels there is time for treatment gives you time to seek a second opinion. Well God bless and in my prayers and hugssss Mike

    Hi, I am Carolyn. My husband has stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer with mets to the brain. He is undergoing whole brain radiation. Did you also have whole brain radiation? Thanks.

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