ast march I was diagnosed stage 3b aggressive lung cancer.I had 3/4 of my right lung removed 6 months of chemo and 28 rounds of radiation.Was told in Nov,that it was inactive and was not showing up in the pet scan.I was as thrilled as could be,then this past Monday I end up at the hospital with real bad headache. They find 2 masses on my brain,one on each side about 2 cent big,Tells me that it is inoperable and incurable said radation and chemo will just extend my life by maybe 10-12 months.Is this common with the type of cancer I have 'Both my wife and myself are scared to death and I am at a complete lost,I am a 53 year old male who was a heavy smoker but not anymore be great if I could get my wife to stop now I also have COPD.Could you explain what has happened and why did it take almost 1 year to show up in my brain,I am just looking for some answers and an idea of where to look for more answers.
Thank You
Gary Kreienheder
Reply # - February 27, 2016, 05:33 PM
Hi Gary,
Hi Gary,
Welcome to GRACE. I am sorry to hear of your brain lesions. I think the statements from your doctor need some clarification. The presence of metastases in your brain change your staging to stage IV. It is true that stage IV lung cancer is not treated with curative intent, but the statement that radiation and chemo will extend your life by 10-12 months is not accurate. Median survival with stage IV lung cancer is approximately in that range, but it must be understood that these figures are based on historical data on large numbers of patients and do not reflect what will happen to any individual patient. Some patients do worse, but half do better than the median, and more patients are beating that median by longer and longer periods, as many new treatments, including targeted therapies and immunotherapies, have become available in just the last few years.
Your cancer may have appeared in your brain because chemo agents have difficulty crossing the blood-brain barrier, so the two lesions may have been growing slowly for some time, only partially or not at all affected by your chemo. Radiation tends to be very effective in controlling brain mets, and if your chemo did a good job of eliminating the cancer cells in the rest of your body, then your prognosis is much better than you have been led to believe.
JimC
Forum moderator
Reply # - March 9, 2016, 04:54 PM
Thank you for your response
Thank you for your response,you made thing a little clearer for me,but I still have lots of questions,and over time they will get answers.I have 6 more radiation treatments left.I am having a pet scan done this month and then chemo in April I am trying to take things one day at a time.Is being very moody and quick to snap something that comes with this I feel like someone looks at me wrong I fly off the handle and start yelling, and that is not me at all.It also seems like my speech is slurring,I find myself stagering at times is this also nornal
Reply # - March 10, 2016, 05:26 AM
Gary,
Gary,
Depending on the specific locations, brain metastases can have all kinds of neurological effects, including slurred speech and balance issues. While waiting for your brain radiation to take effect, these symptoms can often be reduced by taking steroid medications (typically Decadron (dexamethasone)). If your doctor has prescribed steroids and your symptoms have not improved, you may want to talk to him about adjusting your dose.
JimC
Forum moderator