A few days ago, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He is dealing with a large tumor that has metastasized.. The doctors in my country say they cannot help him any further, due to the metastases he is not operable and due to the excessive weight loss they reckon he would have difficulty in dealing with chemotherapy.
He lost to much weight (he was 92kg in March (2012), now he is 44 kg.)
NON – SMALL CELL CARCINOMA
Macroscopic appearance:
For pathological analysis was delivered a tight biopsy material which was consist of four small biopsy fragments with diameter of 0,1 – 0,3 cm.
Microscopic appearance:
Microscopic examination on the macroscopic fragments has shown that they are parts of neoplasm with well – differentiated morphology of planocellular cancer which is consist of malignant cells with medium size and eosinophilic cytoplasm and hyperchromic cores arranged in irregular nests.
In addition, focal cells show tendency of keratinisation. In tight inta-celular matrix despite the mononuclear cellular inflammatory infiltrate, was seen a rare seromucoid glands with normal morphology and a small zone of necrosis and bleeding. Emboluses in linfovascuar space are not found.
Therefore , in submitted biopsy material was found a neoplasm with morphology of good differenced planocellular carcinoma.
Dg. D38.1 Trachea, Bronchus and Lung
J96.1 Chronic respiratory failure
Infiltrato pulomos lat. Dex. IRC parcialis, DM II
History and status: Main issues: Pain in the right shoulder and right side of the chest, decreased appetite, lost of weight.
Current illness. All above mentioned issues are 3 mounts before hospital admission . After conducting an X-ray tomography of the lungs, the patient was sent on pulmonary clinic for further treatment. Former history of illness: Diabetes mellitus (3 months) on insulin.
Personal history. Man, 52 years old, father of two children. He used to work as a mechanical worker. The patient is a smoker, and he used to smoke 2 packs of cigarette
Reply # - February 2, 2013, 02:13 PM
Reply To: My dad has Lung Cancer
Daniel, I'm very sorry your dad has been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. It's a very shocking revelation not just for the person with cancer but for his loved ones as well. So it's very normal and understandable that you want to make sure he is getting the best care possible. We are here to help you understand what's going on and what can done. Also we want to make sure people with cancer maybe specifically stage 4 lung cancer balance treatment and other supportive care with quality of life. In other words I want my husband to get full benefit from anti cancer treatment as long as it doesn't encroach too heavily on his quality of life. There are no clear answers here but a very individual process.
We aren't able to read someone's records and make a decision about care. A doctor needs that information along with a personal knowledge of the patient. That's why it's illegal for a doctor to tell a person who isn't his/her patient what they should do.
If a person is very debilitated they may not be able to withstand chemotherapy; it can do more harm than good. If your dad has lost half his body weight that may be a sign that his doctor feels he isn't able to withstand anti cancer treatment. However supportive care is always a appropriate. Is there palliative or hospice care in your area.
We have an extensive library on stage 4 lung cancer. Please use our search engine to help find more information about frail patients. You may need to log off before the results can be shown, depending on your browser.
this is a result from a search of frail and elderly (you may need to log off to access this too http://cancergrace.org/search-results?q=frail%20and%20elderly
I hope this helps,
Janine
forum moderator
Reply # - February 3, 2013, 04:00 AM
Reply To: My dad has Lung Cancer
I'm really sorry to hear about your father. It must have been a horrible shock for you all. Can you tell us where you are? And how is your father - is he in pain, is he having trouble breathing? Best wishes.
Reply # - February 3, 2013, 04:14 AM
Reply To: My dad has Lung Cancer
He lost too much weight over 45 kg. Now he have pain, because tumor has infected few ribs. His tumor is in Pancoast but it have metastazied in both lungs.
He i 52 years old. Now I gave him B17, Aloe Vera, Germanium 132 + Reishy muscroom, Budwig diet, ECOMER + Omega 3, Omega3, ACE vitamines + selenium, Hemp Oil, 10 days sodium bicarbonate + lemon Juice. He eats only raw fruit and vegetables and drinks fresh juice (cabbage + brochulas+spinach+oranges+beet+carrots+apples). Now he is better than 2weeks ago. On 15 February we want to made another CT scan.
How to find Tarceva? I am from Macedonia. Have you ever heard about this clinc http://medicorcancer.com/
They says that they can treat him with DCA.
Please If someone knows something more write to me. I'm sorry for my gramatical errors, for my bad English.
Thank you, and best wishes.
Reply # - February 3, 2013, 08:36 AM
Reply To: My dad has Lung Cancer
Don't worry about your English. I am sorry for the shock of your father's very recent diagnosis.
DCA (dichloroacetate sodium) is a treatment that has been much hyped over the last few years, but has not yet been proved effective in clinical trials. If you search you will find some posts and discussions here on GRACE. I'd be really cautious about taking your father to Canada for an unproven treatment. It would be of more value to take him to a specialist cancer hospital closer to home, or a big hospital where they do research and teaching.
There was a trial for Tarceva in Skopje, which has closed, so it may be possible to get it in Skopje, but Tarceva doesn't work for everyone.
Janine is right - because your father has lost so much weight, it is going to be difficult for any doctor to treat him effectively unless he gets stronger. I don't think it will help to give him lemon juice and bicarbonate of soda, raw vegetables and so on. To be honest, it sounds like the wrong diet for someone who has lost so much weight. Your father may have a problem called cachexia, which means that a patient loses a lot of weight fast, and which happens sometimes in lung cancer. All best wishes.
Reply # - February 3, 2013, 01:57 PM
Reply To: My dad has Lung Cancer
So what do you think is better for his diet?
On internet I read about this diet, that this diet helps on lung cancer patients.
thank's for informations about Tarceva and DCA. I'll go to ask doctors in hospital here.
I have heard about Tulio Simoncini, and for his treatment with sodium bicarbonate. What do you think for this option?
Thank you and best wishes
Reply # - February 3, 2013, 02:44 PM
Reply To: My dad has Lung Cancer
I'm not a doctor, and I know nothing about Tulio Simoncini, but if this was my father I would not go near someone who apparently believes that cancer is a fungus. I think we need one of the doctors to comment on the sodium bicarbonate, but it makes no sense to me.
As to your father's diet, again I'm not an expert but given his condition he should be encouraged to eat whatever he can tolerate. High-calorie nutritional drinks might help to give him strength.
I hope one of the doctors can comment. Catdander is right to say that sometimes people need care and comfort rather than treatment. It is very unfair that this should have happened to your father, but lung cancer is a dangerous disease and - sadly for all of us - there are no miracle cures out there.
Reply # - February 3, 2013, 03:38 PM
Reply To: My dad has Lung Cancer
Daniel, I've asked a doctor to comment. While you wait it will be very helpful to get a better understanding of what is the normal courses of treatment that have proven to help. certain spring is right about the diet. He should be eating high calorie high protein and what ever he will. Please take a look at the link I provided in my first post (you may need to log off to access it and our search feature depending on your browser but it will be well worth it to get a better idea of the care he needs.)
All the best,
Janine
Reply # - February 3, 2013, 05:25 PM
Reply To: My dad has Lung Cancer
Daniel,
I am sorry about your father's diagnosis and the lack of clear treatment options. I must confess that I have no optimism about any of the medications you mentioned, and the only one that has any proven value is Tarceva (erlotinib). But I'm afraid that it sounds like he may be so weak and fragile that there really may be no anticancer treatment that would have a meaningful chance of helping. I don't want to dismiss options, but it sounds like the doctors have evaluated him and his situation and feel that there is no treatment that could realistically help him. There are truly situations in which the effective therapies are just more likely to harm than help someone who is very fragile. It sounds like that is the case for your father. And the many vitamins and dietary plans you've mentioned are honestly just not treatments that I have any belief will provide a benefit. There are certainly people who do them, but they have had zealous followers for many years and still have never managed to demonstrate any real value.
I wish I had more encouraging news to offer.
-Dr. West
Reply # - February 4, 2013, 10:24 PM
Reply To: My dad has Lung Cancer
Daniel. . .
Just wanted to pop in to say that I have both you and your Dad in my thoughts...
Laya