Lung Cancer Metastasized to the Brain.

Hi,

My dad was diagnosed in Aug. 6 with NSCLC that metastasized to the brain.  He was given 6 months to live with treatment (Whole Brain Radiation, Chemotherapy).  Since than he has completed all treatment and is basically waiting for his time to come. The last 2 weeks he has not eaten much (a couple of bites a day) and sleeps about 20 hours a day. Two days ago, he started having symptoms of dizziness when he lays in the bed facing up. It is so bad that he is really scared to go to bed. Do you all happen to know if this is related to the tumors in his brain? He is going through at home hospice care and the nurses don’t really know what it is related to.

Thanks

My father was diagnosed 2 years three months ago with stage IV NSCLC with 6 mets to the brain ... I do not think the doctor should have given your father a time frame ... my father wanted to know but his doctor said no one knows but God .... and he is still alive today ...please tell your father about my dad... there is always hope ....

God bless ... 

My father did have full head radiation ... it kept the tumors in check for two years.  Just recently there was minimal growth so he had gamma knife surgery (which sounds worse than it is .... it is just a more targeted radiation)  he has tolerated it all very well and his quality of life has really been good...different from before his dx but all in all good.  He does do alot of supplemental things ...which we reallt believe has helped him ...there is a really great book which helpd us tremendously....I will get the name and email it to you later ...

Tell your dad to keep his head up ... and fight the fight ... 

When my father was first diagnosed I read everything I could ... I search for positive stories ... survival ...do a serach on google for Greg Anderson lung cancer ...I read his books...they were great.  I wanted to know what survivors did in addition to the standard treatments...But the best book was How to Prevent and Treat Cancer with Natural Medicine by Dr. Michael Murray.   The book highlights 8 super natural medicines for cancer treatment.  I read this book and picked out the supplements that I thought would help him.... at first he was not open to it but once he read the book with my mom and did some research on his own he was on board !!!  One supplement we picked was maitake mushroom extract.....we have great faith in this.  There are currently clinical trials using this for breast cancer at sloane kettering.... My father has had no new mets since he was first diagnosed ... the docotors call him remarkable... they book recommends whey protien shakes ...he drinks one everyday....he has also stopped eating sugar ... a lot of people recommended Ensure but it is full of sugar... he juices fruits and vegtables every day ... he adds flax seed to his cereal...he is committed to his health and so far thank God we have been able to keep this killer at bay...Please get the book and read it ...if you have any other questions please ask ...good luck fighting the fight.  Let your father know that there are people fighting it with success thank God ... he can do it too...

Good luck I hope this helped 

After I posted the last message I looked on line again to find information on maitake mushroom extract...I was on the American Cancer Society web site and this is what I found about maitake D-fraction extract... very convincing..I

" What is the evidence?

D-fraction contains a polysaccharide called beta-glucan (sometimes called beta-glycan) that is found in several mushrooms, yeasts, and other foods. A polysaccharide is a large and complex molecule made up of smaller sugar molecules (similar to the lentinan in shiitake mushrooms; see Shiitake Mushroom). The beta-glucan polysaccharide is believed to stimulate the immune system and activate certain cells and proteins that attack cancer, including macrophages, T-cells, and natural killer cells (types of white blood cells) and interleukin-1 and -2. In lab studies, it appears to slow the growth of cancer in some cell cultures and in mice.

Most of the research on maitake D-fraction has been done in Japan using an injectable form of the extract. A 1997 study published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Science found that maitake D-fraction extract was able to enhance the immune system and inhibit the spread of tumors in mice that had been implanted with breast cancer. In a 1995 report published in the same journal, researchers concluded that maitake D-fraction extract was able to activate the immune response in mice injected with liver cancer cells to prevent the spread of tumors to the liver, and prevent the development of cancer in normal cells.

Animal and laboratory studies may show a certain compound holds promise as a beneficial treatment, but further studies are necessary to determine if the results apply to humans. In 2002, a group of Japanese people with different types of cancer were given D-fraction and maitake powder in addition to standard cancer treatment. Although the researchers thought some patients fared better, there was no comparison group. It is impossible to say for certain if there was any effect, or whether it was from their cancer treatment or from the extract. Because of the study design, no conclusions can be drawn. More scientifically designed studies are needed to determine maitake’s potential usefulness in preventing or treating cancer.

The National Cancer Institute is sponsoring a very early (Phase I) study at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to learn if beta glucan can increase the effectiveness of rituximab (a drug used for cancer treatment) by making cancer cells more sensitive to it. This clinical trial is studying the side effects and best dose of beta-glucan when given together with rituximab. It will look at young patients with relapsed or progressive lymphoma, leukemia, or similar disorder.

In another clinical trial, beta-glucan is being tested along with other drugs to learn if they increase the effectiveness of another monoclonal antibody (3F8). Combining different types of biological therapy may kill more tumor cells. This is a small open label trial in patients with neuroblastoma that has not responded to treatment. A trial of maitake extract as treatment for breast cancer is also in progress. "  American Cancer Society

 Maitake is outline in great detail in the book by Dr. Michael Murray

Again...good luck....

The FDA approved Maitake in Jan 2009. I put my father on it right after his whole head radiation. My dad has a very very very rare cancer, angiocarcinoma. It started with a nodule on his head, it travels very quickly through the bloodstream. If you want to know the after affects of the whole head radiation, let me know or i''ll just spare you the horrible details. I also put my dad on Flora essence tea. You might want to  look into that. They say my dad will gone in 6 months. God bless and lets hope it all works.