tinab Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 My MIL has Lung cancer and I am here for support as DH and I will be caring for her.She is 65 and a former smoker had been quit for 30 years. History April 2004 they find a Spot on the Upper Lobe of her Right Lung June 2004 She has the Upper Lobe Removed Sept 2004 She starts Chemo Dec 2004 PET scans shows no change April 2005 PET scan shows a Tumor between her Esophogus and Artery. May 2005 they do a Biopsy and it is Cancer but they can't operate June 2005 she starts Chemo 1/4 dose for 8 wks, adn Radiation 5x a week for 8 wks. Oct 2005 PET scan showed that it was shrinking Jan 2006 PET scan shows it was unchanged April 2006 PET scan shows the tumor had grown and there was spots on her Liver and Hip. She was told if she did nothing she had 6-12 months to live and little longer if she done Tarceva or Chemo. She just started Tarceva. I am at a loss she and the rest of the family is in denial. I am the only one who sees how fast this is growing and I am very worried for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ztweb Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Hi Tina, I posted in the other area! Welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenkaz Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Hi tinab I have also just joined last week and find the support you receive here is excellent there is always someone to talk to. From what i read you get to get the rest of the amily to accept what is going on with your mil jim : Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Lamb Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 tinab,welcome to our support family.Sorry your MIL was diagnosed w/lung cancer but glad you found our support site. There are many here that have been there and seen it and will be able to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna G Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Hi Tina. I hope you can bring a message of hope and comfort to your MIL. Welcome Donna G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasey Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Welcome Tina, I am sorry your MIL's cancer has progressed over these past 2 years. Hopefully we can offer you some hope and information to help you along this leg of your journey. Tarceva has been known to be able to do wonderful things. I am hopeful your MIL can be one of them. For now, YOU try to reamin hopeful and come here for support as needed. Kasey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maryanne Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 I am so sorry for your MIL diagnosis. But so glad that you found us. If you have questions or need support we are here for you 24/7. Please do not listen to statistics as there are many on here who were told the same thing but have beaten the odds and are doing fine. I hope her new treatments work for her. Please keep us posted I know how scared you are especially since she had the operation and came through that fine, and now this. But keep a positive attitude and never give up! Maryanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Wood Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Welcome! Keep us posted on yourself and your MIL. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsC1210 Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Welcome Tina I am sorry you had reason to find this site, but I am glad you did. It is a wonderful source of informaiton and support whenever you need it. You and your MIL are in my prayers, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ma's kid Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Welcome, Tina Sorry you have to be here but really glad you found us. We are here to help in anyway we can and will walk this walk with you. blessings, Libby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinab Posted May 16, 2006 Author Share Posted May 16, 2006 Thank You for the warm Welcomes. When she found out it was back the first thing she asked me was I pregnant. When she found out she had cancer in 2004 I was pregnant with her first grandchild and in 2005 when she found out it was back I was pregnant with her 2nd grandchild, she that was her first thought. We have not always gotten along but she has helped me in so many ways. After the birth of our 1st child I was diagnosed with Peri-Partum Cardiomyopathy and went into heart failure when he was 6 days old, my MIL kept him day and night while DH was with me even though she had just had surgery 6 wks before.During my second pregnancy she helped me care for our oldest because it was such a risky pregnancy. She is a Wonderful Grandmother and I hate my boys will not grow up with her around(they are 21 months and 7 months). I know this cancer will take her life but there is a part of me that is hoping for a miracle. I know miracles happen. She is denial she refuses to join a support group she was upset that she was invited to Relay for Life.I am not sure how to handle that.FIL thinks she is going to be just like his mom who cancer took and Give up, DH and BIL won't talk about it. I am searching trying to find all the info i can on Tarceva and Lung Cancer so I will know what to expect. Tina April 2004 they find a Spot on the Upper Lobe of her Right Lung June 2004 She has the Upper Lobe Removed Sept 2004 She starts Chemo Dec 2004 PET scans shows no change April 2005 PET scan shows a Tumor between her Esophogus and Artery. May 2005 they do a Biopsy and it is Cancer but they can't operate June 2005 she starts Chemo 1/4 dose for 8 wks, adn Radiation 5x a week for 8 wks. Oct 2005 PET scan showed that it was shrinking Jan 2006 PET scan shows it was unchanged April 2006 PET scan shows the tumor had grown and there was spots on her Liver and Hip. She was told if she did nothing she had 6-12 months to live and little longer if she done Tarceva or Chemo. She just started Tarceva. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaffie Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 Welcome Tina, I'm sorry you are not getting much support from your family. You will soon learn that we are a different kind of family for you and one thing there is never a shortage of here is support. Keep us posted Kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don M Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 Welcome Tina: I have a single met in my remaining lung. My plan is to kill it with targeted radiation and then do a chemo followup with alimta, a second line chemo. If your mother in law's mets are not too many and not too big, she might look into doing targeted radiation to kill or greatly shrink the mets and then do chemo. Here is a link to a message board that deals with cyberknife, which is a form of targeted radiation. http://www.cyberknifesupport.org/forum/default.aspx?c=4 The tarceva may very well work well at the outset, giving your mom stable disease for years. This could be the way to go too. You and your mom have my prayers. Don M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinab Posted May 16, 2006 Author Share Posted May 16, 2006 Don, I have a question she had radiation where Tatoos where put on her for the Radation between her artery and Eshpogus is that the same thing as Targeted Raduation. The bad thing is she does exactly like the Dr says. He is not going check the 4 spots on her liver and the one on her hip to make sure it's cancer, and that worries me since it could be benign. She also has Lupus and her immune system is already weak from it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don M Posted May 17, 2006 Share Posted May 17, 2006 Tina: The tatoos are external landmarks to guide the radiation therapist in making the correct setup each time a dose is delivered. I have some on my chest. They can be used for both conventional radiation and targeted radiation where no internal markers are used. My radiation is a single tight beam being delivered to my tumor only. I am having image guided radiation therapy. Cyberknife does not use tatoos to aid in setup or tracking the tumor. They use little metal rods that are inserted surgically around the tumor. It is very minor surgery. Then, the robotics knows where the tumor is and zaps it. I did not do cyberknife because I have only one lung and the risk of pneumothorax was not worth the benefit of cyberknife. Image guided radiation therapy is nearly as accurate. I suspect your MIL had conventional radiation delivered to the general area of the esaphogus since it was concurrent with the chemo. I don't think targeted radiation and chemo are delivered concurrently. They did not want to give me chemo at the same time, probably because I am having a high dose and there is a greater risk of getting pneumonitis with concurrent chemo and targeted radiation than with conventional radiation. Also, the intent of the radiation is to kill the tumor, so having the chemo at the same time would be redundant. I will do chemo as a follow up to kill any rogue cells still in my body. I guess your MIL is part of the older group who don't question the doc. Sometimes, for some people, it is just easier for them to cope with having the disease by being that way. It may be that all you can do is mention other treatment options. I am a question asker. I cope by finding out all I can about my disease. If I had followed the advice of my local onc, I would have had conventional radiation concurrent with alimta. It was my idea to get targeted radiation to kill the tumor and spare my good lung tissue. My local onc supported my decision. I will go back to my local onc for my chemo when I am done with my radiation at a major cancer center. Maybe you could get her to seek a second opinion at a major cancer center, just to check in and make sure the current oncologist is on track. You might be able to go with her to one that has cyberknife equipment and ask about managing the mets with cyberknife. What I like about cyberknife is that you can do it multiple times to kill mets as they arise. And, as I understand it, there is no limitation on having cyberknife because of prior radiation. Also, please consider that the tarceva might be the simplest way for your MIL to get good results and to feel comfortable about her treatment. If she attains stable disease, that is just as good, in terms of survival, as having no evidence of disease. I think tarceva would be easier on her immune system than taxotere or some other second line chemo. Don M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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