conley Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 My husband was diagnosed with Adneocarcinoma, Stage IIIA, 5 cm tumor, outside left lung pressing on the recurrent laryngeal nerve and aorta, lymph involvement, unresectable. CT guided needle biopsy CT scan CT follow up: Scan Abdomen and Pelvic. No mets. No other diagnostics performed. Starts Chemo & Radiation 2/4/04 Cisplatin/Etoposide + Radiation for 7 weeks. Followed by Chemo for an addition two months. Questions for the group: New clinical trials Celebrex + Radiation. Any information on this trial? Should my husband have a PET scan to rule out mets. It seems that the CT scans do not always find all the hot spots. Should we ask for a referral to Sloan-Kettering or Roswell in Buffalo NY for a second opinion? Also, I recently read new advances in cancer treatments in the WSJ for the year 2004. One of which was most interesting....Molecular Imaging....will allow doctors to find out far sooner whether a particular cancer treatment is working. Instead of the patient having to endure weeks of Chemo or other drugs before they and their doctors could find out whether a given treatment was actually shrinking a tumor long before it would start to change in size. The breakthrough means patients won't have to undergo weeks of toxic treatments, only to learn the therapy was a waste of precious time. University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston is conducting this breakthrough. Sorry, for such a long post. Judy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe B Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 Sounds like you are well informed. Good that there is no mets. I would focus on nutrition and, excercise (if possible that is; oxygenation is important, even if its just deep breathing). PET Scan is always a good idea, but I have been told that radiation can cause a false positive up to a year or two after treatments. Sloan Kettering is suppose to be one of the top 2 cancer centers in the country (MD & them go back and forth between 1 & 2 ) Keep researching... and by all means do not rule out complimentary treatments ("beating cancer with nutrition" by Patrick Quillan (sp?) is an excellent book) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowflake Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 Judy, There are many posts on the board regarding trials - not just anyone can get into a trial, there are differing perimeters for all. MD Anderson requires pathology slides when a tumor has been biopsied and/or removed (and actual "piece" of the cancer) along with slides (CT, X-ray, etc.) and then a consultation with one of their physicians, a bazillion questions to answer.... I was sent to MD Anderson prior to ANY treatment besides the lobectomy. Radiation was postponed before going to Texas and chemo was never something my oncologist suggested (he strongly suggested getting into a trial due to my age and health). What I was offered at Anderson was information (just INFORMATION, not enrollment) on a trial for Iressa - double-blind. The trial was either a placebo or the drug, but no other treatment...and I decided against it. If I was taking the drug, great, but if not, I was not actively engaged in the battle... Upon returning home, my oncologist enrolled me in a different Iressa study for suppressive therapy to begin AFTER radiation (which Anderson did NOT recommend). Didn't take the Iressa for the year the trial was for, too many side effects... My oncologist tracks me with alternating CT's and X-rays. Our "little" hospital does not have the capacity to do PET scans and he does not feel that I need to have follow-up with this EXPENSIVE test (my insurance has a "cap" of $1.5M/enrollee) or he would refer me to Ann Arbor or Detroit for the test... Go back through the recent posts, I KNOW I read one regarding how to enroll in trials. Through the website given, you enter your specifics and are given specifics of trials you would qualify for - and some information on the trial to begin another round of web searching.... Good luck! Becky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 Personally I would go to a Sloan or Roswell for a second opinion or any NCI designated center http://www3.cancer.gov/cancercenters/ce ... t.html#L19 A PET scan might not be necessary since he will be treated with chemo and that will treat any unfound mets and micrometastasis (if there are any). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna G Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 I had Etoposide and Cisplatin with concurrent daily radiation for NSCLC to start my cancer treatment. When I had surgery , I asked what they found when they removed the tumor. They said all that was left was scar tissue. They did a right upper lobectomy. It was part of my protocol to have another round of the same chemo after surgery . I started all this in December 1997 I finished in April 1998 and have been cancer free since. I pray that your husbands tumor also turns to just SCAR tissue. Donna G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connie B Posted January 30, 2004 Share Posted January 30, 2004 Hi Judy, Sorry you have to join us, and I'm sorry your husband was dx.d with this monster, but glad we can be here for you. I had an MRI of the brain, and a bone scan as well as all the things your had when I was first dx.d. They didn't have PET scans when I was dx.d. But, I would encourage a bone scan and brain scan. If it were ME, I would request a PET scan as well. I just went through the false positives, with a PET scan I had a few months ago. But, after watching a nodule on my lung that lite up, they now believe it could be a fungus infection and not cancer. (LONG STORY)! Good luck and God bless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobmc Posted January 30, 2004 Share Posted January 30, 2004 Hello Judy; First off, welcome to the group, and very sorry to hear of your husband's dx. I've gone to Sloan Kettering twice for second opinions and am glad I did both times. I would certainly encourage you to do the same. That extra measure of comfortabilty is real important and they do have some cutting edge stuff going on. Also, agree with Connie, especially with the CT scan of the brain and bone scans. Would'nt want any surprises down the road and there pretty simple and cost effective to do as a start. Usually, Sloan Kettering does like the PET scans too. You seem to be well informed which is really good, it's very, very important to be an advocate for your own health, or in your case your husbands. So keep it up!! It's good and will help. You may also want to check into Radiofrequency Ablation or IMRT radiation . again welcome, my very best to you and your husband, and you'll be in my prayers. God bless, be well and hang in there! Bobmc- NSCLC- stageIIB- left pneumonectomy- 5/2/01 MRI's taken 12/18/03 - 2 brain mets found- named em Frick & Frack PET taken 1/5 - hot spot in mediastinum May be cancer?? "Absolutely insist on enjoying life today!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conley Posted January 30, 2004 Author Share Posted January 30, 2004 Such support from everyone...I am blown away. Thank you, thank you. Love and light, Judy PS: I will be investigating every new piece of advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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