Mom diagnosed this weekend w/ nsclc

ilovemymom · New User Joined: 25 Sep 2007 Posts: 7 Location: pittsburgh

My 76 year old mother was diagnosed this past weekend with NSCLC, probably stage iv. She is a former smoker, quit 3 years ago, probably 1-2ppd for 40 years. She had SOB and went to the ER, an xray was suggestive of a problem and the follow up CT scan found tumor around her bronchi and also in her lower left lung. Bronchoscopy confirmed Cancer.

The suggested treatment is as follows: Taxol and Carboplatin once every three weeks plus Avastin. We have been told that the treatment will prolong her life which is estimated at 6 months or so.

My question is what can be expected from here on in? I had a lady in the hospital tell me her mother had a similar diagnosis and they opted for NO treatment in that they wanted to avoid the misery of the chemo. I dont want my mom to suffer, she is a tiny lady who usually has an exaggerated response to meds. I'm not sure if she can tolerate chemo.

We are really knocked over by this and want to make the right decision. Is this combo of chemo a good choice? How bad are the side affects? Is there a better treament plan?

more specific information is best so please give me everything i need to know if possible.

I want to ask the right questions but have no idea where to start. Ive read a few threads which have been heart wrenching and have been full of emotional support. what im hoping for is more substantive advice on what to ask, what to expect, alternative treatments etc.

We will be setting up a pet scan this week and MRI of the brain. What should we consider good news? what do we hope to not hear from these tests?

Sorry for the disjointed nature of the post and god bless all of you in advance for your help.

Pray4Mom · Regular Joined: 29 Aug 2007 Posts: 48

I am sorry to hear about your Mom. I can't provide any helpful answers to your great questions; My Mom just had her first chemo today (carboplatin and taxel).. they told us her hair will fall out in two weeks.. and that she will feel really sick in 3-4 days..

Does your Mom want treatment? Is she able to have surgery or is chemo the only treatment expected?

Peace to you, your Mom and your family,
Katherine
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California

brainman

Hi ilovemymom, I am so sorry about your mother's diagnosis. I know so little about NSCLC but I do know that other members will reply.

I do know what the PET scan and MRI of her brain are for: to detect Metastatic spread of her cancer. Good news, actually wonderful news would be no signs of the cancer having spread to other areas in her body. That would be a major factor in a decision if it was my decision to make. What stage is it? People with a lower grade NSCLC have a good chance of living over 5 years. Of course, prognosis is just another way of saying statistical probability. Some will live much longer than their prognosis. If my prognosis had come true, I would have died at least 5 years ago.

I will keep your mother in my thoughts and prayers. Keep us informed.
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ilovemymom · New User Joined: 25 Sep 2007 Posts: 7 Location: pittsburgh

update: diagnosis is poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma.

will have brain MRI and PET scan in the next few days. fingers crossed.

In

I'm sorry about the news of your Mother. I hope at least the MRI might come back clean, one less thing to worried about.

Thinking of you and your Family.

Inica
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Thinking of you Inica

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pbj11 · Site Admin Joined: 12 May 2007 Posts: 1035

I'm sorry about your Mom's diagnosis.

Good news would be that the cancer is confined to the areas you've already mentioned. The docs are right on track to be doing the other tests.

My husband also has poorly differentiated adencarcinoma and was diagnosed 2.5 years ago at Stage IV with it in both lungs and mediastinum. There are a lot of chemotherapy agents available for your Mom that can buy her more time. Each person is unique, so like life in general, there are no guarantees. This is incurable, but treatable. If she can get a good response, there is no telling how long someone can live, even with late stage lung cancer. I know it seems desperate now, but you will have many more good times together.

Hoping for the cancer to be in her lungs only, but don't despair if it is in other areas. There are things that can be done for bone and brain mets too.

Keep us posted.
PBJ

ilovemymom · New User Joined: 25 Sep 2007 Posts: 7 Location: pittsburgh

Thanks for your encouraging post pbj. We would be very pleased to have our beautiful mom around for another couple of years. Congrats on your husbands fight and being 2yrs out from diagnosis.

the MRI came back negative for metastatic disease to the brain so for this we are truly greatful to God.

She is having PET scan today. We will keep you posted.

We were hoping to take a trip with my mom and the whole family to spend some time together before or in the middle of one of her cycles of chemo.

She hasnt started yet but could start next week. At least one of the folks in the ocology department had suggested we could delay chemo for a few weeks in order to do a trip/family vacation with my mom but I am concerned about waiting that long to start treatment. Alternatively, we could get one treatment under her belt and wait a few days before leaving but im concenred about her white blood cell count.

Please feel free (anyone) to weigh in on how long a wait would be appropriate before starting chemo or whether getting one treatment under her belt is a good or bad idea.

ilovemymom · New User Joined: 25 Sep 2007 Posts: 7 Location: pittsburgh

I'm very sad to report that my mother passed today. It all happened so quickly. She was done in by her lungs failing to expel CO2 leading to sleepyness and carbon dioxide narcosis. the only way to blow off the CO2 was to put her on a ventilator and she declined rapidly thereafter. Her numbers progessively got worse and she got steadily weaker. there was no way she was going to get off the vent and her wish was not to be ventilated. We took her off the vent today and she passed within 30 minutes or so. She was sedated and in no pain.

my only advice is to spend as much time as possible with your diagnosed loved ones. do not assume you'll have a tomorrow to say the things you need to. luckily, i was able to before she died.

all i feel is numbness now.

brainman

Oh, ilovemymom, I am very sorry about your mother's death Sad

. Your advice to others is very good too. I am glad you got to have some quality time with her.

You have been a valued member of this community. Part of my own healing has been through helping others who have cancer or are dealing with cancer in some way. I hope you will return to find support through your time of grief and lend support to others as well.

You and your family and in my thoughts and prayers.
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

ilovemymom · New User Joined: 25 Sep 2007 Posts: 7 Location: pittsburgh

Cant even start to tell you how sad I am. Sorry for the rant but feel I need to post this.

My mom was such a beautiful person and cared so much about people. She was the most self-less person I ever knew and taught me so so much. She was kind and generous and helped so many people.

My mom taught me how to be kind, to not judge people and to care and be loving. She made me feel like I was perfect, that I could do anything. I think that had I told her that I had just robbed a bank she would have told me everything would be alright and that I wasn't a bad person.

She was such a great mom and so very humble and modest. She had so many hurdles stacked against her with limited $$$, an 8th grade education and a husband that died leaving her with a 12yr old boy (me). She raised me as a single parent thereafter. She did such a great job with me. She was always so proud of me and bragged about me to everyone. I hope I can be half the parent she was. I am so so proud of HER.

I am heart broken that she has died but when I tell my kids how beautiful and perfect they are every night and hug them 20 times per day I know I am doing it because that is what she did to me and, in that way, she is living on.

Still trying to get my head around the situation but we are all going to be okay.

mommysgirl

Dear I love my mom,
I guess at this exact time in my life I can say I know exactly how you feel. My mom passed away last Tuesday Oct. 23 from NSCLC adenocarcinoma with brain mets. She lived just 2 days short of 5 months from diagnosis. She did everything she could to fight it, and in the end nobody really knows what took her life. On Monday Oct. 14 she became unresponsive and none of the doctors could figure out why. See that is the problem with cancer you just never know. Last Saturday when took my mom home with Hospice. She lived until Tuesday when she just stopped breathing in her sleep. I made it through the week. Planning the funeral with my dad was so hard. The visitation was Friday and the services were Saturday. Yesterday I just kinda crashed and burned. The whole week caught up with me and all I did was lay in bed and cry and sleep. Today is a new day. Although I am still very sad, life must go on. You see my mom was only 58 and I still have a family and small children that need me. My mom was the best mom ever and I will miss her terribly as she was also one of my best friends. I hope that you get through this okay. The most important advice I can give regarding cancer is to always spend as much time with your loved ones as possible, because you just never know what tommorrow might bring. Please know that you are in my prayers.
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My mom's story
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pbj11 · Site Admin Joined: 12 May 2007 Posts: 1035

Many hugs to ((((IlovemyMom and Mommysgirl)))))

Having just lost my husband in Mid-October, I well understand how overwhelmed you are right now. Prayers for peace and remember, our loved ones are breathing well now forever in God's presence.

PBJ

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