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Dad diagnosed Stage 4 lung cancer


bacchus

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44 minutes ago, Steff said:

Be careful, it is not uncommon for Keytruda to cause pneumonitis.  It was suspected that my mom had it, she was taken off of Keytruda for 2 sessions and received high dose steroids.  She did not end up having pneumonitis, but we learned that it can be very serious and fatal if not taken care of.  It can also cause permanent damage.  Perhaps his docs want to look into that possibility as well.

Yes, on Thursday 9/13 the onc looked at his chest xray from 9/12 and they could see the inflammation and he said he has about 4 good reasons he could have lung inflammation but they didn't know which one was his issue.  He proceeded with the Keytruda infusion that afternoon.  His cancer is responding very well to it.  My guess is if he gets out of this hole the next infusions will be done with caution.  He is in bad shape.  Whatever caused the inflammation was rather acute.  It came on over a few days.  Praying the steroids work.  This would be crazy to lose him to lung inflammation and not really the cancer but probably a side effects of the treatment :(.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well going on day 24 of being in the hospital for the lung inflammation.  No new news really other then he is off the vapotherm and on 3.5 litres of regular o2.  For reference he was on 40 litres on the vapotherm 3 weeks ago.  So the steroids are helping reduce the inflammation.  The chest xrays look somewhat better then when he got admitted.  3 weeks in the bed has done him ZERO favors and now we are getting him up and moving a bit.  This will be a long process however it ends up.  They still don't know what caused the inflammation but the onc said if he wants more keytruda(which works awesome on him but may have caused this inflammation as well) he has to WALK into his office and come and get it.  This is one of the worst spots someone can be in.  Just laying in bed waiting for something to happen either good or bad.  Tough on the family and tough on the patient.  This disease and the corresponding treatments are terrible.  

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Hi, I'm sorry your dad and family are going through this! Let's all pray for and visualize WALKING. Is he getting any physical therapy to help with getting him up and moving? If not, maybe you could ask for this?

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well Dad lost the battle last Friday the 19th.  They think the steroids he was on for the inflammation allowed the cancer to progress.  But without the steroids he wouldn't have gotten as far as he did.  The cancer turned to a "lymphatic spread" at the end.  I just wanted to let ya'll know.  Thanks for answering all the questions and listening.  I started this thread to help gather as much info as possible to help Dad fight the disease to the best of our ability.  Looking back at the fight i don't think we could have done anything differently.  I just wish it was caught earlier, the location of the primary tumor would have been more favorable and it wasn't as aggressive as it was.  Glad he isn't suffering any longer.  I will probably still stop in here from time to time.

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I too am sorry.  It sounds like your father fought a hard battle.  I will be thinking of you and your family during this sad time.

Take Care,

Steff

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I'm so sorry Bacchus.  He was fortunate to have such a caring son.  I think you're right--you all did everything you could.  You have no cause for regrets about anything any of you did/did not do.

Peace to you and your family--and you are welcome here ANYTIME.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello All,

I realize I am responding well after the fact, however, saw the topics of Keytruda and pneumonitis and wanted to at least leave my experience. I was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer 07/03/18. Healthy in every other area, my new oncologist tested me and then scheduled me for chemo to include  to begin a month later as I was a good match. Went to the ER with shortness of breath prior to chemo and it was determined the cancer in the lymph node around my windpipe was growing, making it hard to breathe so chemo was put aside and 10 courses of radiation to shrink it was ordered.

Radiation was a success, was breathing much better, so began chemo with Keytruda. 2 weeks after treatment I couldn’t breathe again, CT scan and X-ray showed pneumonitis in both lungs, back into th hospital I went. 3 & 1/2 weeks on constant bipap and 15L o2, drs weren’t sure I would pull through. Thank God things improved, but only like half way. Still on oxygen and steroids 2 months later waiting to see if pneumonitis will heal. Oncologist and pulmonologist are unsure if pneumonitis was caused by radiation or Keytruda so Keytruda has been removed from chemo treatment. 

God Bless,

Candi

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