Brother, age 56, with NSCL, Stage IIIB, left upper lobe lung

nancyegge · New User Joined: 24 Jul 2005 Posts: 1

My brother, age 56, just diagnosed with NSCL, Stage IIIB, lung cancer in left upper lobe lung. Also in Mediastinum area. One lung tumer is 22 cm, one 11 cm, one 10 cm in left lung. He has weight loss and weakness. Is still working but tired.

How bad is this?
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Nancv

(Jack)ie · New User Joined: 03 Aug 2005 Posts: 2

"My brother, age 56, just diagnosed with NSCL, Stage IIIB, lung cancer in left upper lobe lung. Also in Mediastinum area. One lung tumer is 22 cm, one 11 cm, one 10 cm in left lung. He has weight loss and weakness. Is still working but tired.

How bad is this?"
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Unfortunately it is very bad. Lung cancer at this stage usually means that surgical means of treatment is not possible and that chemo and radiation are the only alternatives.

Chemo most of the time means carboplatin and taxol. Radiation treatments could mean up to 30+ treatments.

At this stage and with mediastinum involvement the possibility of a cure is very rare and treatment will most likely prolong life and will probably bring some measure of physical relief but eventually the cancer will most likely continue.

Hope can lie in clinical trials and the possibility, although rare, that a favorable response will occur from the chemo and radiation.

As this cancer progresses build up of fluid in the pleural sac of the affected lung may require drainage by way of a procedure called thoracentisis.

There is a procedure that can collapse the pleural sac and lessen the build up of fluid but this will not affect the outcome just give some relief from the fluid build up.

Infections including sepsis and metastasis to liver, kidney and bones become greater as the cancer advances.

Also as the cancer takes hold weakness and wasting become more advanced and nutrition becomes a problem because cancer creates a condition called, cachexia.

Omega-3 (fish oil capsules) have been shown to be helpful as this wasting process affects not only treatment but also one's quality of life.

Other treatments for this condition may include a drug called Megace or a pill form of marijuana call Marinol (dronabinol).

If treatment does not bring a favorable response and the cancer does indeed advance and metastasizes to other organs than hospice care will probably be needed.

In most communities this care can be provided at home or if need be in a hospice care facility.

Hope that your brother is one of the fortunate ones that responds to treatment.

(Jack)ie

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