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Stage IV Lung Cancer Questions - Advice Please


monstermunch

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Hello everyone, after some help please with a Stage IV lung cancer in the right lung. There are two tumors approximately one the size of an orange and another smaller one around the size of a marble. A medical person we spoke to mentioned something about removing the whole lung wasnt probably going to be an option and I wondered if anyone knew why that might be? Also the medical person we were speaking to mentioned having progesterone instead of chemo and that it would "stop the growth" of the tumour. Has anyone ever heard of this? All my research so far only tells me that its the standard three options, surgery, chemo or radiation to treat lung cancer.

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Hi and welcome to our group. There are so many details missing from your post for anybody to give you a valuable answer. Let's begin with the age of the person, what type of cancer, general health condition, what biomarkers testing  were performed and the results and most of all what type of doctor/medical person is giving the advise. Personally I always advise  people to seek treatment at a reputable cancer center where a tumor board makes decisions instead of individual doctors. Otherwise a second opinion is highly recommended. In general lung removal  is not for every one. I for one did not qualify  due to my age, the extend of cancer and the poor condition of the lung.  Hope this helps.

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Hi Monstermunch,

Welcome to the club nobody wants to be a part of.  There are people here with all types of experience from full lung removal to lobectomies, chemo, radiation or some combination of them all.  More folks will be coming on soon and you should hear some answers to your question on the treatment.  In the meantime the more you can tell us about any testing you've had done and what the results were can help us to provide better feedback to you.

Lou

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Hi Monstermunch, I was diagnosed a year ago with Stage IIIB NSCLC with an EGFR mutation. Surgery wasn't an option for me.

Has the tumor tissue undergone genetic or biomarker testing? That's the first place to start before a medical oncologist can create a treatment plan. I had chemo and radiation and am now on a targeted therapy (a once-a-day pill). I've never heard of progesterone as a treatment.

The best place for lung cancer research is on this site, it's very up to date. In the last few years, immunotherapies and targeted therapies have been added as treatment options and they can be very effective, depending on the type of cancer and mutation. 

Definitely seek out an oncology team who are up to date on current treatments. There's a lot to learn about this disease and usually you have to do it quickly. Please let us know if you get more information. 

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Welcome here from down under!

Normally, when one gets a lung cancer diagnosis, they are told about a type of lung cancer along with a stage. You report Stage IV but no type. Did you have a tissue biopsy to determine your type?  You mention Stage IV but describe two tumors in your right lung. If tumors are confined to a single lung, you might stage at III and this might make surgery possible.  Have you had additional testing to determine the extent of your cancer. For example a PET scan is normally given to determine if your cancer has spread to other areas. 

Why might surgery not be possible if tumors are confined to a single lung? There are many reasons. The proximity of tumors to blood vessels or other sensitive tissue might be a reason.  I had a very large tumor confined in the main stem bronchus of my right lung and surgery removed the entire lung after presurgical chemotherapy and radiation that reduced the size of the tumor to allow for a safe resection. My cancer staged at IIIB.

Progesterone is a hormone and I’ve never heard it used for cancer treatment. One normally has a biopsy and that determines your type of lung cancer. There are two major types: small cell lung (SCLC) and non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). NSCLC has subtypes of adenocarcinoma, squamous cell and large cell. Each type and subtype have unique treatment methods. So a biopsy is necessary. Further, new treatment methods called targeted therapy and immunotherapy require follow-on laboratory testing to learn if these new and effective methods will work on your type of cancer. 

There are many methods of treating lung cancer. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are the principal methods but there are many types of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation available today. Again the biopsy is key to disclosing the proper method for your cancer.

More questions? This is the place.

Stay the course.

Tom

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