Hi i have been looking for information on treating lymph nodes and not found the answer i am looking for. My diagnosis is T3N3MO , non small cell cancer ( squamous carinoma). My tumour is 2.6 cm on the right upper lope , two nodes on right and the other node is on the left side. I am having chemotherapy , GemCarbo. I was going to have a scan after two cycles, but a scan taken prior to starting the chemo showed the node near my left lung has grown. So now the scan is to be arranged after 3 cycles of chemo. My question is are there good results on GemCarbo decreasing the size and activity of lymph nodes. And what outcome would the medical team be looking for apart from trying to control the spread of any cancer cells reaching other areas of my body through the blood stream. IF the lymph nodes are managed does this offer more options to treat the cancer.
I would appreciate any information relating to my queries.
Thank you
Sweetchic
Reply # - May 13, 2014, 04:54 AM
Reply To: lymph nodes
Hi Sweetchic,
Certainly a systemic therapy such as GemCarbo can be effective in killing the cancer cells, both in the lung tumor and nodes. Responses vary from a complete response, in which a follow-up scan is unable to detect any remaining cancer, to a partial response, in which tumors have shrunk but are still there. It's also possible that the result will be stability, in which the tumor and nodes are still there but have not grown.
If you have a good result from your chemo, your doctors may be able to consider surgery or radiation to remove whatever cancer remains, but at your stage it is a very individualized decision made after taking into account a number of factors.
You can read about treatment for Stage III NSCLC in Dr. Pinder's post here: http://cancergrace.org/lung/2010/08/22/introduction-to-locally-advanced…
And Dr. Weiss' post "An Introduction to Lung Cancer" provides very good background information: http://cancergrace.org/lung/2010/04/05/an-introduction-to-lung-cancer/
Good luck on your upcoming scan. Please let us know if you have further questions.
JimC
Forum moderator
Reply # - May 13, 2014, 08:20 PM
Reply To: lymph nodes
As Jim and the links he included allude to, there is no treatment specifically for lymph nodes. The chemotherapy treatment for the main tumor is the same treatment for the nodes.
I would emphasize that the clear standard treatment for stage IIIB NSCLC, with N3 nodes involved, is chemo and chest radiation. Best results are generally seen when chemo and chest radiation are given concurrently (though gemcitabine cannot be given safely with concurrent radiation, other chemo regimens can). Surgery is generally not favored when there are N3 nodes positive, since this suggests an excessively high risk of spread elsewhere, beyond what surgery can safely remove.
Good luck.
-Dr. West
Reply # - May 14, 2014, 08:10 AM
Reply To: lymph nodes
Hi JimC and Dr West
your reply's have offered me a more in depth understanding of my situation . I am hoping that the chemo will have an impact on the lymph nodes and tumour. After the 4 cycles of chemo ,I start radiotherapy treatment. My Oncologist has only been in post for a month and I don't feel there is any rapport yet,The treatment unit is fairly new to our local hospital. The service has been offered to prevent people from having to travel quite a distance to the nearest cancer unit. As I live in a rural area. So i am grateful for being able to use this forum and ask questions .
Thank you
Sweetchic
Reply # - May 14, 2014, 07:18 PM
Reply To: lymph nodes
Sounds good. Happy to follow your progress and offer any insight we can along the way.
-Dr. West