Lung Cancer Bronchoalveolar Cell Carcinoma

cabbott said:

BAC or a cousin of same!
I have something they think is pretty close to BAC. It's close enough that they aren't worried that it will go out of the lung. The great thing about BAC is that it isn't as likely to spread and it is fairly slow growing. The bad thing is that slow growing cancers don't respond so well to most of the chemos out there. Tarceva is one that might work if the cancer comes back and surgery alone didn't work. There are a few other targetted treatments that are being researched. I wouldn't mind at all if they found a few more!!! I was diagnosed in 2006 and had my middle right lobe removed. There have been a few spots since, but they are very small and don't seem to be doubling. The surgeon wants to do nothing for now. I can lose up to 1 lung total, but the surgeries themselves have side effects and right now I feel pretty good. So we are playing the wait and see what happens. I will be glad to play this game for a long, long time, especially if I continue to feel as good as I do today!

Adenocarcinoma with BAC features
I was always getting those e-mails about women and heart disease, and I was getting winded when I went up and down stairs. So I told my dr. at my yearly check up. She put me ...through stress tests and heart tests and my heart was fine. She ordered an x-ray, and some "glass like particles" showed on the x-ray. I was given anti-biotics for pnuemonia, then another x-ray showed it was still there in two spots. Now I was refered to a pulmonologist. He ordered ct scan, breathing tests, and more TB tests. After ct scans, still "glass like particles" showing, and now thinking it is a lung fungus, no signs of cancer. Then, more tests for that, and it is negative. Now it's time for a biopsy, going through my throat because now the pullmonologist and pathologist and thoracic surgeon think it is sarcoidosis. Going through my throat to take a lymph node from my chest. Well, that turned out negative, so while on the table, they turn me over and go for a sample of my lung, a blind sample. Chest tube hurts the most here. Well, then on May 26th, the next day, I was told it was non small cell lung cancer with BAC (brochoalvedar-sub type of adenocarcinoma) features. Well, in my home town they told me it was in both lungs, nothing they could do but put me on end stage treatment. I got a referal to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee (about 45 min. away from me) which is a teaching hospital. EVERYTHING CHANGED!! They found it was only in one lung, and I could have a lobectomy. On July 12th I had the upper right lobe of my lung removed. On Aug. 28th I started chemo. I get cisplatin and alimta. I have my 3rd treatment on Oct. 7th. I get one treatment every 3 weeks, for 12 weeks, so after next week I've got 3 down and 1 to go. They found I had 3 "glass like tumors" (this is a trait of BAC, and it does not "glow" with a pet scan) but they were all small. No lymph nodes were involved, and no mets. Also, all edges were clear. Still they staged me as IIIA, T3 NO MO. I thank God for the e-mails I got about women and heart disease. I found out that I've probably had this cancer more than 4-5 years. It started out as BAC only, then morphed, turned aggressive, and is now Adenocarcinoma. Soooooooo, I am one of those who believes in x-rays for former smokers. BAC is one of the lung cancers not usually caused by smoking, but I was a bartender my whole entire life (turned 56 4 days after finding out I had cancer) and second hand smoke for bartenders and waitresses is a problem. An x-ray years ago would have helped my cancer not turn aggressive. From what I've read, when found early, lung cancer was not what dr.s have been looking for. Anyway, sorry such a long post, but if this story of mine helps ANYONE, it was worth the typing. I also want to say that teaching hospitals are the way to go in my opinion rather than a small hometown dr. At a teaching hospital you get a dr. who is a specialist in your OWN cancer only, and they are in on the most newest technology, clinical trials, and are no more expensive than your home town docotors. Anywhere there is a VA hospital, there is a teaching hospital near by. Thanks to all who read this, I just wanted to get this story out there. Also, there is a website for ALL cancers that is just marvelous,. It is called CANCER COMPASS and is worth the read to anyone with cancer. Thanks so much