famograham Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 I'm being really lazy right now, but I thought you'd want to know anyway...LOL! I just posted this on Dr West's site because these new developments caused some questions. Since it include the update info, I'm just going to post it for you guys as-is. Please share your thoughts if you can, OK? xoxoxoxo Linda My Mom just got home from an appointment with her Onc.- Dr Joe, in Victoria BC Canada. She was diagnosed with lung cancer in March of 08. After two bronchoscopies, they still could not come up with any cancer cells whatsoever to identify the type. So, they treated her as NSCLC, but without having the specific type. It was confined to one tumor. She was staged at T1 N0 M0, or stage 1. She had 20 radiation treatments in September 08 and has been clear since then. Last week she got results from a recent CT scan, done without contrast. It noted multiple small spiculated masses, in the upper lobes of both lungs. She was diagnosed at 64, and is now 66. She has fairly advanced emphysema She still smokes The Onc told her that she is not a candidate for more radiation, or surgery (we knew about this one), and she is also not a candidate for any chemo. He told her that he is not convinced that this is lung cancer progression, that it may be scarring from the emphysema. He told her to go home, love life, and smoke all she wants. Then come back in 3 months, have a new CT scan, and go from there. He said that if it is still stable in 3 months, then he will do everything in his power to help her stop smoking once and for all. So, I have two questions. 1 - Why was her CT done without contrast, and could this affect the results being interpreted? 2 - Why might he tell her that she's not a candidate for any chemo? My Mom has an amazing attitude, and a great quality of life. She is still able to go for long (slow) walks, and do tons of gardening, she does ceramics and goes bowling every week. She is fine with doing nothing. She just lost her sister to lung cancer before Christmas. I think that if it is progression, she'll be content to just let it happen...but the idea that she's not a candidate for chemo is really irking me. Thanks so much for any insight you can offer (anyone!) xoxo Linda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaminkw Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Boy Linda, I don't have a clue. Your mom has a tumor and no cancer cells? I have cancer cells and no tumor. Cancer's presentation is getting stranger and stranger. I'll be anxious to pop over to cancergrace and see what Dr West says. Judy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyW Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Usually cells form tumors... HMMMM Thoughts and prayers for for you and Mom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
famograham Posted February 13, 2010 Author Share Posted February 13, 2010 Exactly right Randy...lol! I have been confused this entire time about that very fact. If they couldn't find any cancer cells, then there never was proof that she has cancer at all, so I wonder how they decided her treatment plan without all the facts. Bizarre, and very perplexing. Mom deals with the same cancer clinic as Sandra did, in Victoria. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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