Hello...
I am 60 yr old female diagnosed 10/16/17. I had a left lung top apex lobectomy and lymphectomy on 11/1/17. The tumor itself had speculated margins but on path. stated all margins uninvolved by invasive carcinoma which was 4.4 x 4.5 cm. No pleural effusion or other factors with all unremarkable organs and clean brain MRI. I am feeling great..eating very healthy..no processed foods, etc., no alcohol and, actually quit smoking 3 months before diagnosis. I am NOT wanting to do any CHEMO at this time. I have literally researched hundreds of hours on reputable sites from PubMed to lung.org to well, so many sources here, Canada and even in Australia and U.K. Topics of diagnosis, prognosis, conventional and alternative treatments AND more. I should mention my tumor has not had any genomic or molecular testing yet for mutations. etc.
I am very disturbed tho about my VPI on path report and researched this too. I am not in the medical field but have learned alot and my staging and size is important and can be a predictor of my SURVIVAL or not. So I am asking for your opinion as to whether I should do chemo. The oncologist recommended 8 rounds for 12 wks of cisplatin and gemcitabine. Unfortunately he had the worst bedside manner I've ever encountered and lied about chemo side effects on my 2st visit. So I called my primary and he said to get a 2nd opinion but does not have an oncologist in particular to refer me to. I was treating at the Cleveland Clinic and so I'm going to call my pulmonologist to get a 2nd onc. to see. I did however want your opinion of the need for chemo now. Thank you!
Is chemo recommended or necessary for nsclc squamous stage 1b with VPI NO NODE - 1293650
michbitz
Posts:1
Forums
Reply # - December 18, 2017, 10:50 AM
Hi michbitz,
Hi michbitz,
Welcome to GRACE, and congratulations on the great results from your surgery, including the news that you're feeling so good. Adjuvant (after-surgery) chemotherapy is intended to eliminate any cancer cells that may remain anywhere in the body after surgery, and it can improve survival rates by around five percent. GRACE contributor Dr. Heather Wakelee discusses such adjuvant therapy here: http://cancergrace.org/lung/2010/05/17/systemic-therapy-for-resected-ns…
As you can see from that discussion, choosing adjuvant therapy for early-stage lung cancer is not a clear-cut decision, and the personal preferences of each patient can play a role.
I hope that you can find an oncologist with whom you can discuss the pros and cons of adjuvant therapy, and come to a decision with which you are comfortable.
JimC
Forum moderator
Reply # - December 22, 2017, 06:20 PM
I had pleura involvement, but
I had pleura involvement, but don't know if it was visceral or parietal. My tumor was the lower right lobe and the size was 5.2 cm. This was actually a local recurrence from my original LC diagnosis 2.5 years earlier. I never had any lymph node involvement either time. But due to the size, adjuvant chemo was recommended and mine was adenocarcinoma.
Though I've never heard of 8 infusion. Normal is 4 but if a patient is tolerating it, then some will go on to 6. I did 4 the first time and only 3 the second as I had an allergic reaction to the carboplatin. Cisplatin is the harsher of the two platins. I would definitely not ever do 6 of those.
Get that second opinion and you may find that due to size, chemo would be recommended.
Take care, Judy