hope16 Posted August 18, 2018 Share Posted August 18, 2018 hello all my husband diagnosed four weeks ago with lc adenocarcinoma. It was staged 3a then and since he was the candidate for surgery his lower lobe of right lung was removed. His margins are clear and lymph nodes came out negative. However onco prescribed four cycles of chemo and took second opinion with India's leading onco who wants to go for targeted therapies. We are confused here. So please guide us through. Also I am too much in distress. My world has turned upside down. My husband is 35 and we have two young kids. Pleas tell me is there any hope? Will he be cured? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LexieCat Posted August 18, 2018 Share Posted August 18, 2018 There's a good chance that he will be cured. People around here (and in the cancer world generally) hesitate to say anyone is ever "cured" of lung cancer--sometimes it can recur or spread many years down the road. But they do talk about "curative treatment" for early stage cancer, and the hope always is that it will, indeed, have that result. Most of us talk about being "NED" (having No Evidence of Disease)--which is where we all want to be! I asked a couple of questions on your other thread about what drugs they were considering using and what mutations they had found (targeted therapy targets specific mutations). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hope16 Posted August 18, 2018 Author Share Posted August 18, 2018 he estes positive foregfr. Alk and ros1 reports are pending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LexieCat Posted August 18, 2018 Share Posted August 18, 2018 Did they say what chemo drugs would be used if you chose that option? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hope16 Posted August 18, 2018 Author Share Posted August 18, 2018 14 minutes ago, LexieCat said: Did they say what chemo drugs would be used if you chose that option? yeah...doc said cistaplatina something along with two other drugs...i forgot their names Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LexieCat Posted August 18, 2018 Share Posted August 18, 2018 I just found this (relatively recent) journal article about neoadjuvant (i.e., after surgery or radiation) use of targeted therapies. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5723861/ As I read it (and I'm not a doctor or scientist), the problem with targeted therapies for early-stage cancers treated with surgery is that targeted therapies shut down the mechanisms that cause the cancer cells to grow and multiply but don't actually kill them the way chemo does. So the thought is that maybe it's best to stick with chemo and hold back on targeted therapy, which could then be used in the event of a recurrence. I'd ask your oncologist about that. ETA: Because cancer cells continually mutate, they eventually become resistant to targeted therapies (another reason to maybe hold back on targeted therapy until/unless it is needed). Hopefully the chemo would kill any remaining cancer cells and you'd never need to go there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hope16 Posted August 18, 2018 Author Share Posted August 18, 2018 I will keep that in mind while discussing this with our oncologist. Thanks for the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Macaulay Posted August 18, 2018 Share Posted August 18, 2018 They will probably be using the chemo as clean up and then have ct scan in ? months. and if results show positive they will go on longer mtc therapy. I start Mtc infusions next week for one year and infusions every two weeks. and ct scan in three months and then meet back with the oncologist and if showing progress will continue the treatment. If showing no progress with this drug they will stop the treatment that was her words this week. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hope16 Posted August 18, 2018 Author Share Posted August 18, 2018 1 minute ago, Robert Macaulay said: They will probably be using the chemo as clean up and then have ct scan in ? months. and if results show positive they will go on longer mtc therapy. I start Mtc infusions next week for one year and infusions every two weeks. and ct scan in three months and then meet back with the oncologist and if showing progress will continue the treatment. If showing no progress with this drug they will stop the treatment that was her words this week. Bob what is mtc infusion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Macaulay Posted August 18, 2018 Share Posted August 18, 2018 Immutherapy using Durvalumab for my infusions I never had surgery and progressed after eight rounds of regular chemo similar to yours Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Cornett Posted August 18, 2018 Share Posted August 18, 2018 Hi, Hope. I was diagnosed with stage 4 adenocarcinoma in 2016. I had surgery to remove the upper lobe of my left lung. I followed that surgery with cisplatin and alimta. Your husband is in a good place given it has not spread to his lymph nodes. I didn't have any of the mutations so I wasn't a candidate for targeted therapy. Your husband should have some options given his results. Hang in there. We're here for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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