GaryG

HI Jack: I have experienced swollen ankles/legs lately. Since I had a blood clot in my lung previously, my oncologist ordered a CT scan to make sure I did not have a blood clot. Then there was a debate about Edema and at the end they decided I had cellulitis and put me on antibiotics. Not to alarm you but you better take it seriously and let your oncologist know. I was told I developed cellulitis from scratching. Cellulitis is to be taken very seriously. I wish you the best.

Congrats. Nothing better than NED.

Kristina! congratulations on a fine report and best wishes for continued success.

Hi Rikki: Sorry to know about your diagnosis and pain. I am a 74 year old mail cancer patient so I can't help with your breast question. Our ladies on the site are certainly more qualified. One question though did you ask your oncologist about the pain and if so what was his reaction. Maybe you should remind him often and demand answers. Are you now under his care and if so are you receiving radiation/chemo/immunotherapy and if so what type? Answering these questions might help us formulate an answer. I wish you the best.

Hi and welcome. I am very surprised that the pulmonologist thinks it is cancer just from looking at a CT scan. As Lexi said, for now your best bet is to wait for the PT and biopsy results to find out. Waiting is difficult but there are no alternatives to the tests even if someone had the same experience with Covid-19.

If one has to guess, your oncologist might wait till the next scan before arriving to a conclusion. Scans change from one to the other for many reasons. For instance some oncologist are encouraged by growing cancer when the patient is on immunotherapy. Also a growing mass could be due to inflammation. Anyhow, arriving to a conclusion from reading one scan while one is under treatment is not accurate. Your oncologist might compare this scan to previous ones and have a completely different opinion.

Welcome to our group. I am 74 years old and was diagnosed with stage IIIB lung cancer On May 2020. I have been receiving a combination of chemo and Immunotherapy we call triplet. Lexi did a great job describing her treatment and quality of life and that very much negates the common misconception about cancer treatment. I am also enjoying a quality time and seeing positive results while being treated. You come to the right place to seek guidance and ask questions. Of course you have a way to go before you receive the details about your dad's diagnostics and that will determine the type of treatment he will receive. Make sure the doctors do a biomarker test to check for mutation. Nobody knows for sure (even the doctor) how many months your dad will live but as lung cancer patients, we are a true testament that beating the cancer is possible because many of us did it. All it takes is perseverance, hope and a good medical team. I wish you the best.

Tom: What's so sad about your post is the current state of affair lung cancer . Imagine the benefits to every body should all these blogs, Facebook communities and non contributors all got together in one single setting to share experiences and help one another. Imagine the influence on Politicians, pharma and providers that will create. One can only hope.

Hi Nikki and welcome to our blog. Sorry to hear about your brother. The only person who can answer both your question is the hospice doctor. Morphine dose given to patients differs from one to the other. I wish you the best.

Hi Matt and welcome. Sorry about your Mom's diagnostics and hopefully the doctors will have the situation under control. First of all the good news is that the cancer is operable and that's the best solution for treating cancer. The question remains is why doesn't the doctor confirm exactly what type of cancer your Mom has after performing the biopsy? Also do you know if they performed a biomarker test to look for mutation? Granted the nodules are not very large but why the long wait (since November 2020) to do the second biopsy and MRI? It is good to be calm especially when you don't have all the facts but it is uncommon to wait this long unless she was receiving treatment. I wish you the best.

Hi Deb: I have had it for 2 or 3 weeks and the doctor ordered an ultra sound to make sure it is not a blood clot. The problem is not in my calf but rather in my lower leg.

Did anybody on Keytruda experience swollen and painful legs? I plan to ask my doctor but was wondering if this condition is curable.

Hi Heather: Welcome and sorry about your husband. It is difficult to make a reasonable comment unless one knows more details. Almost every hospital ha an online portal these days where the doctors describe in details the type of cancer and the plan going forward. Family members are normally allowed to have access. I wish you the best.

Hi Kristina: Glad you joined us. Like you I had two chocking experiences with cancer. Lung cancer for me and colon cancer for my first wife. Today I don't know which one I abhor the most. I am glad Tagrisso is working for your husband and I hope it will lead him to be NED one day. I also hope that you get the upper hand on your breast cancer and enjoy a happy life with your children. I wish you the best.

If my family is not there for me through bad times, then they are not my family. Risking putting my family through suffering? Well sorry about the inconvenience but this is not about them. It is not like I have decided to have cancer. As for the odds, as long as there is a glimmer of hope, there is a chance to beat the odds. That said, going through the cancer journey is a sure way of weeding out the caring from the uncaring, the true friend from the false one and a close family member from a non family member.

Tom (TJM): Yes Keytruda is used on high and low PDL-1 levels but the caveat here "in conjunction with other drugs. Yet the jury is still out on the effectiveness of immunotherapy in general for the long run. I asked that same question of my oncologist and some prefer it to target therapy and radiation. The next few years will shed more lights and hopefully they will be bright.

Hi islandgirls and welcome. Many of us on this board receive that treatment and we refer to it as the Triplet. You can read many postings on the triplet in the Chemotherapy discussion thread. I was diagnosed as stage III B, no mutations and my PDL-1 is zero. After 4 treatment the Carboplatin was dropped and I am now on Alimta and Keytruda. My oncologist told me I had excellent results and other patients reported the same. I hope it works for you with minimal side effects so please if you have any questions do not hesitate to ask.

Hi Mary Claire and welcome to our group. I really admire people like you who encounter so much yet stay positive and upbeat. It is not easy when you have cancer. I hope the side effects diminish with time and you see plenty of improvement soon. All the best.

Babs: No progression is good so congrats and a small shrinkage is even better. I did not have the surgery but I would have made the same decision you and the radiation Onc. Hope the next scan will be even better.

Hi Noela: Sorry to hear about your diagnoses and welcome to our group. It seems like you had your fair chare of surgeries but there is nothing faire about cancer. You have an advantage that your case was examined by a cancer board at the Mayo Clinic. Personally I have confidence in cancer boards where you the specialists come to a consensus. I also did some research on wedge resection and it is less invasive than other surgical procedures with a recovery time of less than two weeks. As Bridget wisely suggested, you should explore a surgery by VATS instead of open chest because it is less painful. Please post back when you the final decision is made and I wish you good luck and a quick recovery.

Tom: My first wife of 30 years died of colon cancer. I stopped working and devoted 2 1/2 years to taking care of her. That was 16 years ago when treatment options were limited to 5FU and Avastin. I never felt so helpless and lost because she was one of those kind and caring people who will do anything to help. So in a sense this is my second battle with cancer except I feel lucky that my current wife takes good care of me and there are more advanced treatments to give us hope. You and I are both lucky so thank God for a helping hand.

Hi Terry: Sorry you were diagnosed with with stage 3 lung cancer and welcome to our group. I reiterate what Kristen asked did you have biomarker testing done and if the first test did not find any mutations you need to request a second one. Some of our members here had a negative result on the first one but the second one discovered a mutation. A mutation does not lead with with certainty to a cure but it gives you an additional mean to combat cancer. It is important that you like your doctors, but it is also important that you learn about lung cancer and participate in your treatment. For example you could ask why you are given Durvalumab without a chemotherapy? Now back to your treatment. I was diagnosed with stage III B but I did not qualify for radiation or surgery due to the density and location location of the cancer. So in a sense the more tools we have to combat cancer, like radiation, the better. Over 9 months later my oncologist describes the results of my treatment as excellent but he has yet to declare me NED. Some of his reasons are dead tissue and scar tissues. The fact that you show improvement in a short time is a great achievement . Lung cancer is a war with many battles. Some of us endure set backs and difficult side effects. The only way to endure the pain is with hope, determination and most of all patience. I hope your journey will be a lot easier and I hope you visit often and gain knowledge from our experience. We are ready to help so ask your questions at will. I wish you the best.

Hi Kristin: Thanks and please make sure they include the word NED in the search list😀

I am responding as promised to a discussion about thyroids. Unfortunately I can't locate the thread. The result of my biopsy is benign. I am happy, relieved and thankful all at the same time. The radiologist reported a shrinking of one side compared to previous scans as a metastatic shrinkage. The size per the radiologist went from 3.4 cm to 3.1 cm. However the thyroid specialist measured it at 2.5 cm. I tend to believe the one who reveals good news.

Hi Curry: I am so sorry that you have lung cancer at such a young age. Can you please share more details on what type? I am 74 years old who was diagnosed as stage III back in May. At that time I lived in Orlando. I sold my home and moved to Tampa so I can be treated at Moffitt Cancer Center. Nine months later, I am glad I did. I am an advocate of treatment centers where there is a cancer board. You can have many opinions by many specialists at the same time. Like many other here I don't have any mutations and my PDL-1 is zero. Regardless, I was treated with Immunotherapy and chemotherapy. My oncologists describes the results as excellent. Once you know exactly what type of cancer you have, we will be able to answer your questions and help you through your journey. I wish you the best. GaryG