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My grandmother was just disgnosed with cancer. I don't have all of the facts yet becuase some tests have not come back but the doctors believe the lung cancer has metastized to her spine. If this is the case they say they cannot operate. What I am not understanding is why they won't operate if it has metastized. Is it possible to operate on the lung and then do a bone marrow transplant to fix the bone? I already have a donor lined up to do it. I love my grandmother vey much and I would do anything to see her get well again. Any tips I would surely appreciate.

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I am very sorry to hear about your grandmother.

Cancer that has metastasized isn't really very simple to deal with.

Just show your grandmother you love her by being there for her, and by not falling apart when you are with her. She wouldn't want you to stop living your life just to weep, I am certain.

I will keep you and your grandmother in my prayers.

Try to be strong, dear, I know it isn't easy.

Love to you both,

MaryAnn

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I wondered the same thing you did over and over when my mom was first diagnosed. Generally if the cancer has metastasized it means it is in the lymph node system...which means surgery is not much of a benefit. Also, we were told that by having surgery can delay treatment of chemo and radiation, which is not something we wanted to do. But don't lose hope, there are so many options available now that my mom was told sometimes chemo and radiation can be as successful as surgery. IfI always recommend getting a second opinion!!! Blessings to you, this is a difficult road but there is lots of support here.

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Well at this point they are saying that chemo isn't an option. They are putting her on a clinical trial. The drug is supposed to stop the growth of the cancer but if it doesn't work then there is nothing they can do. They say that surgery isn't an option because the cancer is in both lungs. At this point I still do not understand why they couldn't transplant one lung, make sure her body is taking to it and remove the other. I know I would gladly donate my lung to the cause. I can't help thinking that if my grandmother was someone famous then they would present this as an option. She is a wonderful woman and I will not just accept this as her fate because she deserves that and so much more. Thank you all for your prayers and guidance.

Julie

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Julie,

I don't think a lung transplant is a viable option, and unlike kidneys, you cannot donate one lung. There are many people on the board on clinical trials and doing very well - don't give up hope. My thought would be that if the cancer has mets, a new set of lungs in the body would just be open for an attack from the same critter...

I don't know how old your grandmother is nor her relative health - these could be a big issue in her care and treatment options. Radiation may be an option for bone mets and spread.

I hope the pendulum swings the other way and there's sunshine in the future.

Becky

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They started her on a clinical trial of Iressa and Celebrex together. My only thought was that they said that most of the cancer was in the right lung and with surgery wouldn't this prolong her life? My grandmother is 70 and very healthy her cancer wasn't from smoking and she isn't weak or sickly looking. It is hard to accept that it is either this trial or nothing.

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Guest Phyllisb

I am very sorry for what you are going through. It is good that your grandmother has such a concerned granddaughter. I also have cancer in both of my lungs without mets. I am in excellent health, but surgery is not an option. It would remove too much lung tissue, both good and bad tissue. Even if you survived, chances are your quality of life would be really bad. I have done experimental drugs and standard chemo drugs. You should get a second opinion. Depending on your grandmother's health there may be a lot of options open to her with chemo and radiation. I will be thinking of you.

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They explained it to me like this:

They don't do surgery unless they feel that they can get all of the cancer, so even if they operated on your grandmother's lung, she would still have cancer. There would be no benefit.

Believe me, it took me and my family a while to understand it also, but it makes sense, why put someone through that and still have to have chemo or other treatments.

Hope this helps,

TAnn

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Hello Julie,

I am so sorry to hear your Grandmother is so ill. She is lucky to have such a loving grandaughter!

What kind of cancer did the oncologist say your Grandmother has? I agree with the others, make sure she gets a second opinion. My husband would not go for a second opinion, he trusted the oncologist he has. I wish, even just for our peace of mind, that he had.

Paddy

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Julie:

My brother has cancer in both lungs and they wont operate. At first I thought he had incompetent doctors and was sure that there was something they could do. His doctor told him when he was diagnosed to go home and settle his affairs and wait, they said he had 2 months.

Like you we wanted a lung transplant and one of my other brothers was willing to donate one but we learned (like snowflake said in her post) that you cannot donate lungs and that no one would perform a transplant. We had him try holistic medicine, we had him visit a cancer clinic in mexico. Finally his wife decided she could not have him doing so many things at one time it was just making him anxious. So, his wife and kids decided to really fight for the chemo which is what my brother wanted.

His doctors finally agreed and they started the chemo and he is still getting treatments. He has lost a lot of weight and it has been tough for him but he has also had a lot of joy spending time with his 1 year old grandaughter and his family and close friends. So far he has had no shrinkage but it has not metastizised (sp?).

Find out what your grandmother wants and if she opts for chemo see other oncologists, arm yourself with information, and be firm about your demands with her doctors and insurance.

Prayers for your dear grandmother and you.

Donaf

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thanks for clearing that up for me I guess I am not a doctor. Again I thank you all for your prayers and wish you and yours the same. I am hoping that together we can stick it out and hopefully find a cure. I will not accept anything else for my grandma or anyone else. I am looking into reiki treatments. Has anyone tried this?

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I can hear your pain in your post. You've found a good place to help you cope. I'll add my attempt to explain the decision against surgery for lung cancer.

Lung cancer is more like buckshot than a single bullet. The cancer cells spread out from the original site, sometimes (like in small cell) very very fast. Because there are loose cancer cells beyond the original site, the chances of surgery making a difference go way down if there is more than a couple of sites. Think of dropping a glass on a tile floor - it shatters, and tiny shards go everywhere. Cancer kind of does the same tink. Problem is, any tiny shard can become a huge problem. Surgery is a big deal - it's risky, and the recovery is tough. Why do it if it doesn't help?

Chemo, on the other hand, goes pretty much everywhere. While nobody seems to enjoy chemo (there's an understatement), it's safer than surgery and more effective for cancer that has started to spread.

Stem cell transplant is really a procedure which allows a super-dose of chemo. The patient is given drugs to force the body to produce stem cells in the blood (this is safer and easier than bone-marrow transplant, but does the same thing). Then the patient is given chemo (and sometimes radiation) in really high doses. The patient typically gets pretty sick - and in a good center, up to 5% actually die from the procedure.

After the chemo, the stem cells are transfused back into the patient. Self-donated stem cell doesn't require an outside donor, and does not risk the host versus graft problem.

Sounds like it should be a sure-fire cure, but it isn't. Cancer can still come back. And for some reason, DIFFERENT cancers are a big risk after stem cell. My mother's onc. said he only recommends stem cell for about 2% of his patients. My mother is one of them because she has had an excellent response to chemo.

That being said, I would encourage your grandmother to get a second opinion. If she's 70 and in good health, I would think chemo would be an option. Radiation may also be used. This is assuming she wants aggressive treatment - nsclc is not as responsive to chemo as sclc, and treatment can be tough, so your grandmother gets the final say. But if SHE is upset that her dr. says there isn't anything else to try, then she should run, not walk, to another onc.

Please let us know how you and your grandmother are doing.

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