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Hello. I am new here and was diagnosed with NSCLC Squamous cell type, in Sept. 2021. I am 64 years old and a very active and healthy person prior to all this I was misdiagnosed for over 9 months with Post Herpetic Neuralgia and the cancer was found by chance after my pain doctor ordered an MRI due to longstanding shoulder pain and hand weakness and a rash. A large 9 cm tumor in the apex of my right lung was found. It was not operable due to location near my spine per a neurosurgeon. Initially my oncologist gave me "months" to live and guessed my cancer was at stage IV. I started Carbo/taxol immediately but after 6 weeks (2 chemo rounds) and multiple CT scans, MRI's, a Pet scan and a biopsy, it was discovered that though the tumor was large it was isolated in the right lung with some small mets to the mediastinal and clavicle nodes but hadn't progressed as first thought. A curative intent plan was presented to me and I chose to do concurrent chemo/radiation for 6 weeks. I finished that on 1/25/21. The large tumor shrunk about 2 centimeters and the questionable lymph nodes had just about disappeared or remained stable. Just this week i pressed my oncologist about what stage the cancer is now and he said stage III. I started Imfinzi 2 days ago. My PDL-1 marker was only 2% but still an indication that it might work. (Diagnosis: 1. right apical lung squamous cell carcinoma, involving the chest wall, ribs and T1-T3 vertebral bodies. PDL1 2 %. STRATA next generation sequencing showed PTEN, CDKN2A, MLL2, MLL3, TP53 mutations and MYC amplification. 2. Pancoast syndrome) I am feeling great! Shortness of breath (SOB) is the only issue keeping me from doing all I did before this happened. It looks like I have a couple areas of my lung that are collapsed Question: 1. Does the SOB get better over time? Is there anything I can do besides breathing exercises to help? 2. I have yet to find anyone with similar biomarkers to mine. Anyone? 3. What is the difference between the ways that tumors are staged? Prior to treatment my radiation oncologist staged me T4N3 which I know refers to the tumor size ""T" and "N" 3 lymph nodes involved. How does this correlate with Stage III? I hope I am making sense. LOL! 4. Could my tumor continue to shrink with Imfinzi? I have a very positive outlook and a strong faith base. -
Hi everybody, A newbie here and new to recently being diagnosed with sclc located, to date, in my left lung.(2 nodules upper and lower) I was under the impression that i had limited stage, but after some research and other opinions (including my oncologist) am confused as to what exactly i do have. My oncologist said extensive and then after i questioned him about it, he seemed to question his initial thought and was double checking stats on his computer. Of course i will ask him again, but thought i would ask the question on here in hopes that maybe someone could clarify for me sooner. Or if there's even a simple explanation of what determines each. I did read that with small cell there are only two stages, limited or extensive? I was of the opinion that if the cancer had not spread outside of the initial starting area, which is the case so far, that it was diagnosed as limited and extensive only if it had spread to other organs. Does anyone know the answer to this?? Thanks, in advance...
