Stage IV Lung cancer that has spread to the brain

tony p. · New User Joined: 19 Sep 2006 Posts: 3

My girlfriends father has stage IV lung cancer. We've known sence july and he really hasn't changer much. Now though, he is caughing up blood and blood clots. Does this mean he is about to die? Please someone let me know what this means. Thank you. He is 53 and I and 27. I'm not positive whitch type small or large that he has. He has had chemo and radiation which he hasn't had since the 18th of august. He is also on alot of perscription drugs. We are really scared about the blood someone please help.

tony p. · New User Joined: 19 Sep 2006 Posts: 3

I'm so happy that of the 35 people that have read my message none of you have ever heard of caughing up blood with lung cancer. Either he is the only person that did this or he is in really bad shape. If anyone knows y he is caughing up blood please help me out also does anyone know how long this will go on for. Thank you if you reply and if all you do is read this I'm sorry you can't help me.

laila.wonderwoman · New User Joined: 26 Sep 2006 Posts: 2

Haemoptysis- is coughing up blood stained sputum. According to Wikipedia this might be due to pneumonia or another respiratory infection. My father was admitted into the hospital for TB, and then they discovered it was pneumonia, which was caused by the tumor in his left lung. They inserted a tube into his chest to remove the liquid and the lung tissue, which deteriorated due to the pneumonia. He coughed up very little sputum with blood.

I hope that this was somewhat helpful.

I wish you, your girlfriend's father and your girlfriend the best.

tony p. · New User Joined: 19 Sep 2006 Posts: 3

Thank you. He does have one completely blocked lung
I'm not sure if it the left one but it is causing him pain. I don't think that they drained anything though. Do you know if this is a realy bad sign or if this means he is about to die? He also is caughing up blood clots with the blood. Hope fully it's not that bad and thank you for your regards and i wish you and your father the best also.

laila.wonderwoman · New User Joined: 26 Sep 2006 Posts: 2

This is what I found on the web:

Hemoptysis is the coughing up of blood from the respiratory tract. Coughing up blood from the lungs (hemoptysis) is sometimes confused with bleeding from the mouth, throat, or gastrointestinal tract. Hemoptysis often looks frothy because it is mixed with air and sputum (secretions from the airway). It is usually bright red.
Tumors, especially those due to lung cancer, account for up to 20% of cases of hemoptysis.

Doctors check for lung cancer in smokers older than 40 (and even in younger smokers if the person started smoking in adolescence) who develop hemoptysis, even if the sputum is only blood streaked. Death of lung tissue (see Pulmonary Embolism) from blockage of an artery by a blood clot (pulmonary embolism) may also cause hemoptysis. Inflammatory causes account for 80 to 90% of hemoptysis cases. Acute or chronic bronchitis is probably the most common cause, because bronchitis and, to a diminishing extent, bronchiectasis cause about 50% of all cases.

The diagnosis of hemoptysis is complicated by the number of possible causes. Bronchoscopy may be needed to identify the bleeding site. A scan using a radioactive marker (lung perfusion scan) may reveal a pulmonary embolism. Despite testing, the cause of hemoptysis is not found in 30 to 40% of cases; however, when hemoptysis is severe, the cause is usually found.

It is important to note the length of time during which hemoptysis occurs. Also important is whether it consists of mostly sputum with a small amount of blood, sputum and blood in nearly equal proportions, or nearly all blood. Also, note any symptoms, such as lightheadedness, dizziness, or thirst, that might indicate a severe amount of blood loss. Other symptoms, such as fever, chest pain, shortness of breath, and blood in the urine may also be important.

For irritation of the throat from violent coughing, cough suppressants may help. Specific treatment of the underlying cause may be recommended by the doctor. Cough suppression may or may not be desirable. Cough suppressants can prevent blood from spreading through the lungs, but they can also lead to airway obstruction from blood that accumulates.

Massive hemoptysis is a life-threatening emergency that requires treatment in an intensive care unit. The patient will be intubated (the insertion of a tube to help breathing) to protect the airway, and to allow evaluation of the source of the bleeding. Patients with lung cancer, bleeding from an aneurysm (blood clot), or persistent traumatic bleeding require chest surgery.

According to this article- I would deduce that it is in your girlfriend's father's best interests to get the coughing looked at immediately since it may be caused by "Death of lung tissue (see Pulmonary Embolism) from blockage of an artery by a blood clot (pulmonary embolism)".

I hope that this was helpful- you can go directly to the website by using the following url: http://respiratory-lung.health-cares.net/hemoptysis.php

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