milk
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Hi, My father has had a recent diagnose of lung cancer and because he lives in Jamaica and I am concerned about him receiving the best medical treatment. He said he is but I was wondering about trying to get him in to a private hospital. My question to you all and especially those in this age range do I try and pay for his treatment or use the money to visit/stay for as long as I can and living expenses for myself whilst I am away.
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Reply # - May 11, 2018, 08:49 AM
Hi milk,
Hi milk,
Welcome to GRACE. I am sorry to hear of your father's diagnosis. As you note, his age may be a significant factor in which types of treatment may be appropriate for him. While age itself is not the limiting factor, overall health is important, and of course that declines as patients get older. On the other hand, your father may otherwise be in above-average health for his age.
Also important is the staging of his cancer. If it is an early stage lung cancer, surgery or radiation may be options, depending on his ability to tolerate those therapies. Some surgeries are more straightforward than others, and in the more complex situations, it is advisable to find a highly-experienced surgeon who specializes in that type of surgery.
If he has metastatic lung cancer, then you would want his cancer cells tested for activating mutations, for which there are specific treatments effective for that scenario.
Without more information about his situation, it's hard to say whether the treatment he's receiving is appropriate. Perhaps a frank discussion with your father's oncologist would be helpful.
If you gather more information and have further questions, please let us know.
JimC
Forum moderator
Reply # - May 11, 2018, 11:00 AM
Hi Milk,
Hi Milk,
I'm sorry to read of your father's lung cancer. If it were me I would find out if he can receive proper treatment where he is, including staging, and marker testing before considering a private hospital and the expenses that go with that.
For instance, if he is early stage is it possible for him to have surgery, given his age and any health conditions he may have? When it gets to a decision point I'd look at getting a second opinion so you can be sure you are going down the best path in terms of quality of life for your father.