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Finished chemo and radiation...what's next?


flesner

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Hi - I recently found these boards. I'm very glad you are all here...but at the same time I'm sad that we all NEED to be here!

My Dad was diagnosed with 3B NSCLC in August. He started chemo and radiation right away and finished up in December. He will be rescanned sometime this week to see what progress (if any) has been made.

My question is...what happens after chemo and radiation? Can they/will they do more?

I'm pretty sure that surgery will still not be an option as the cancer is connected to a rib and his spine and was in lymph nodes meaning they would have to remove the entire right lung. He was a smoker for many years and would not be able to survive on left lung only.

We kind of all got caught up celebrating him getting through this round of treatment we haven't looked too far ahead to try to understand what could be next.

Thanks for your help. Nikky

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Hi, Nikky, welcome to the LCSC!

Now that your dad has finished "first line" treatment, what happens next will depend on the results of periodic scans (usually CT and/or PET). They will be compared to similar scans done before and during treatment to determine whether or not the malignant areas are growing ("progressing"). When and if that occurs, depending on his general health, he may be offered a "second line" treatment with another drug -- one to which the cancer has not developed resistance. This process can continue into third line, fourth line, and beyond, as you can see from some of the treatment profiles attached to our messages.

If you can start a profile on behalf of your dad, giving his specific treatments, scan results, etc., we can perhaps give you a better idea of the possibilities. Here's how:

Click on My Profile above, scroll down to the Signature block, enter/update your information, scroll down further, ensure Always attach my signature is marked Yes, and click Submit at the very bottom. From now on, your profile will attach to every message you send.

Best wishes and Aloha,

Ned

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Nikky~

Go job, you all made it through :lol: . Next? Dont sit and wait, celebrate! As Ned mentioned, profiles are a great tool. My Dr. told me back in June the 1st "scan" post Tx will have sludge and residue, he does not really taks a lot of stock in that one. It takes time for the body to readjust after "returning from war". Tell your dad, to listen to his body, it wont lie to him. Take it easy, In the words of Jimmy Buffetts new CD... breath in breath out and move on! Please keep us posted.

Mary

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Nikky,

Research all alternative treatments. I have been using them with my chemo since I was diagnosed. I really believe in a fermented soy beverage called Haelan 951. It is very expensive, but if you can afford it, it is worth it. My family has helped my husband and I financially because they have seen how healthy I look for someone given 2mos to a year to live. I would never tell someone to abandon chemo completely, but the alternative methods do work! You may want to look up Enrol's page on this site. He is really an inspiration.

Good luck and God Bless

Kathy

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Hi and welcome!

I hope your Dad's scans go well this week and you will post an update. Next step all hinges on what the scans show.

Make sure any and all supplements are run by the doctor, as some can be detrimental to the effectiveness of the chemotherapy. Usually a good multi-vitamin is all the doctors recommend. I'd be a little leery of overloading of soy-based products as they have been shown to aid in estrogen driven cancers.

Best of luck on the scans and hoping for good news!

Welthy

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