Lung cancer return or infection? - 1254962

Hello,

My mom was diagnosed in 2010 with stage 3 (I think 3B) inoperable lung cancer. She responded well to chemo and radiation and the oncologist said she was in remission. She lost quite a bit of weight and began having a chronic cough after treatment which they attributed to the treatment itself. Despite both, she kept up her energy for the most part and seemed to be getting her strength back. For the last four-five months, though, she\'s lost more weight (weighs 100 pounds on a 5\'8\" frame) has no appetite, no energy (was sleeping 18 hours a day) and didn\'t do anything other than get up to use the restroom. She was exhausted. The pulmonologist, oncologist and primary care doc had been monitoring her and in February, the oncologist was concerned about a spot on her lung and wanted to get a biopsy. But before we could, her lung filled up with fluid and she nearly died. She\'s been in the hospital three weeks and has a pleurx catheter in her lung and is drained every other day. She was treated with IV antibiotics for two weeks and her energy, appetite and coloring improved very much. They stopped the meds a few days ago and she\'s started to backslide. They have biopsied several areas both in her tracha and in her lungs and everything has come back inconclusive. They can\'t determine if it\'s cancer or chronic infection. Her right lung, the top half, is basically useless because there\'s a big cavity in it and I guess a lot of damage from radiation. The bottom of the lung is what fills with fluid.

They have said they are stumped and her case is the talk of the hospital. They said while they haven\'t found cancer per se, they can\'t attribute everything to infection, but they go back and forth. They were interested in doing surgery to get more tissue from her lung but said it is just too risky because she is so weak. The latest tests again show no cancer, but they are talking about starting chemo if they get her stronger. Anyone shed any light on this? Thanks!