Update on Nancy.

[Guest Teddie/Amy]

Hi everybody. I am one of Nancy's eleven brothers and sisters. We support Nancy in her treatment for the NSCLC. Nancy is a fighter and we will be with her through the good, bad and the ugly. Nancy is very anxious to get started on her treatment. She also has a new computer and in having cable connected today. After Norton Virus 2002 is installed, she should be ready log on here and get to know all of you. She is a special woman. We love her very much. I could not ask for a better sister.

Thursday, we were at the doctors office for test results and the first cemo treatment. The first thing we heard from Dr. Beck was that the PET scan test results threw him a curve. The PET scan showed some hot spots in Nancy's right lung, one near her right collarbone and one just below her right ear. Dr. Beck said that was very unusual and not how the cancer should have spread. He seems to think those lymph nodes are infected and probably has nothing to do with Nancy's cancer. We sure hope so. It sounds like good news. Well, not especially good, but not bad.

Monday, Nancy will see a surgeon who will perform a biopsy of some kind on the lymph nodes that were found on the PET scan. From what I gather, the main purpose of the PET scan was to see if the cancer has spread further than what the CT scan had found. The doctor will not start cemo treatment without knowing what the new found hot spots are. I am sure we will have lots of questions to ask the surgeon on Monday. Dr. Beck said the surgeon would make a small incision just below the neck, in the front (chest area). Have any of you had this procedure or heard of it?

Any information would be greatly appreciated. From your own experience or from research you have done. We are open for all the information we can get on this disease called NSCLC. I wish the best to all of you who are fighting cancer. Teddie

[cindi o'h]

Hi Teddie.

Glad that Nancy is having a computer set up and will be joining us shortly. She will also have privvy to some excellent sources of information via the web.

If I am right, it sounds as if she will be having a common surgery for staging, called a mediastinoscopy. I had that done by a lung surgeon and had no problems with it. I don't remember any discomfort at all after the procedure.

It is a small incision in the area of the collarbone and then using his finger, the surgeon just opened it up after the initial incision and went down with a tool and clipped off a few pieces of lymph nodes to send to the pathologist. It sounds as if the surgeon may go up a little with Nancy instead of only down. I hope that they will find those areas on the lymphs to be an infection too. I would be surprised if they are cancer. Has she had a sore throat lately or does she have some teeth that have been troublesome? Or an ear infection? These are things that I would generally think about, since the lymph nodes usually collect from the area adjacent and above them.

In any event, will be happy to meet your sister and welcome her to our group.

Cindi o'h

[Don Wood]

Hi, and welcome. Thanks for the update on Nancy. Please do keep us informed. Take heart. My wife, Lucie, is Stage IV NSCLC and is 2 years 8 months from diagnosis, having beat back the beast several times. There are many treatments available to Nancy, so keep hope. Don

[mhutch1366]

Welcome!

I am glad you found us.

I had similar treatment, Cisplatin and VP16, with simultaneous radiation.

I'm still here....

Where there is life there is hope.

XOXOXOXOX

MaryAnn

[Don M]

Hi Teddie: I wish Nacny the best in her treatment. It sounds like the biopsy will be a mediastinal endoscopy to check for cancerous lymph nodes at her mediastinum. Here is a link that describes the process:

http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/003864.htm

[Ry]

We look forward to meeting Nancy soon. Lots of information here and we're happy to help. Welcome.

[Guest Teddie/Amy]

Thanks everyone for your input. Nancy's visit to the surgeon was a surprise. In his opinion, surgery is not necessary. He suggested starting the cemo soon as possible. So, Nancy will see Dr. Beck on Monday, June 27. We hope she will start the cemo treatment that afternoon.

Small delay with Nancy's computer. It should be up and running next week. We sure hope so. I think she is looking forward to checking this site out. I know she is wanting to do lots of research concerning her cancer. Thanks, Teddie

[stand4hope]

Hi Teddie and Welcome (and you, too Amy)!!

I'm very late in welcoming both you and Amy, but I was away from the board for a while and got a little behind.

I was a little confused when I read your post at the top because it says SCLC at the top and NSCLC at the bottom. After reading Amy's earlier posts, I'm assuming that your sister has NSCLC.

Did the surgeon say why no surgery? I'm assuming you are referring to the surgery to biopsy the hot spots that showed up on the PET scan. Did he think they were positively malignant, and that's why? or did he think they were nothing and that's why?

Anyway, I'm glad she's getting her chemo started and we are looking forward to meeting her when she gets her computer running.

It sounds like you have a wonderful support group with your big family. That's wonderful! Keep it up, because she will need it.

Again, Welcome!

Love,

Peggy

[Guest Teddie/Amy]

Hi Peggy! Sorry about the confusion with SCLC and NSCLC. Nancy has Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer. I will edit the mistake if I can figure out how to do it. As for the surgery to biopsy the hot spots that showed up on the PET scan, the surgeon thought they were nothing and thought it was in Nancy's best interest not to biopsy them. I will try to pay a little more attention and give more detail on my post. Thanks, Teddie