bihheh

I know it has been a while since I have visited. First I would like to thank everyone for sharing their story with us. My father-in-law only made it to 7 radiation treatments, no chemo and passed away Feb 17. This was only 1 month from diagnosis and 19 days from his first visit with the oncologist.

thanks for all of your help. We were told by the oncologist that it is too advanced to operate on and that he can not be cured, then at his radiation consult, the radiation oncologist then told him that with aggressive therapy (his plan is for 35 treatments) there was no reason he can't be cured. He went Tuesday for a repeat CT and markings and was supposed to return next Thursday for his first radiation treatment, the hospital called early yesterday and wanted him there to start treatment as soon as possible because the tumor is close to some nerves and they are worried about severe neurological deficit. After the first treatment was over I was told that the doctor that read the new CT and wanted him to come in then had only ordered 18 treatments. Could someone tell me why they would only be doing half the therapy they had originally discussed with us?

We really don't have a plan, we still have a few days before our first visit with the oncologist and his medical doctors only say "I think he may need radiation and chemo". The pulmonologist only saw him long enough at the VA hospital to say, "I don't feel comfortable doing the biopsy". So an intervention radiologist at a referral hospital did it. I was just wondering what other tests would most likely be performed on him to be able to determine the stage of the cancer. He is so weak right now and I just don't know what he can withstand.

My father-in-law was recently diagnosed with Pancoast tumor. Biopsy results of the tumor are nonsmall cell lung cancer, enlarged undifferentiated cells. His CT scan showed invasion of the first 3 ribs, vertebra and scapula. He is having horrible shoulder pain and weakness/tingling of his left arm and hand. He has also had a CT scan of the brain that shows a lesion. They have only biopsied the tumor. And the brain CT is the only other thing they have done. What can I expect now in order for them to be able to stage this and give us our options. I have noticed him being very hoarse the last couple of days and I don't know if this is significant for anything, or just a cold coming on. He also looks very jaundiced to me, he is taking a lot of pain meds so I don't know if it because of that or if it is possible it has spread to his liver. His urine looks like dark tea to me. I am also worried about the reality of surgery. If they were to tell us that it is operable, how bad is the surgery. His lungs are in horrible shape form years of smoking and several lung infections in the last 5 years. He can not walk to his bedroom from the kitchen without being winded. I can't find anywhere that tells me what I can really expect. I have read several of the posts here and have been pleased that the prognosis may not be as grim as my previous research led me to believe. Any answers at all would be great. Thanks, Heather