Sarcomatoid Carcinoma of The Lungs

My 80 year old dad has been a very active and strong man, doing all kinds of things involving exertion and activity. About a month ago, he was very short of breath and thought it may be heart-related, but the doctor found that he had fluid on his left lung. He was to have the lung tapped and drained, but after two attempts, nothing drained out. Surgery was done, but immediately the surgeon found that Dad had advanced lung cancer. They were able to put in a tube and extracted 2 1/2 liters of fluid from his left lung. He was immediately relieved, but now had the knowledge that he had lung cancer, but felt like his old self. The test results were delayed for us because the doctors sent the results to Mayo Clinic for more extensive diagnosis. Since then my Dad has been put back in the hospital with very labored breathing, even with oxygen and breathing treatments. Today we finally found out what my dad has, and it's rare: Sarcomatoid Carcinoma of the Lung. The radiologist said that only about 5% of lung cancer patients have this condition, and that was why so many tests were needed before they could diagnose it. The radiologist also said that radiation would be out of the picture, since this type of cancer isn't a mass that can be aimed at with radiation, but is in small spots along the inside of the chest wall, and the outside of the lung wall. His left lung can't expand because of the fluid surrounding it which I think is caused by the many spotty tumor areas. They hope to somehow drain that chest cavity so that the lung can expand to its full size and Dad can breathe and get strong so that therapy and treatment can begin. To make a very long story short, does anyone have any experience with this disease? I know that it's an aggressive tumor, and that it's pretty rare, and that's about it. Anyone with anything to share? We just found this out today and feel like we're in good hands, doctors are being thorough, etc. We just want to be as smart as we can when it comes to being my Dad's advocate. A couple of months ago he was on a two-story ladder cleaning windows and gutters, now he can't walk from the parking space to the store without being entirely out of breath. Thanks in advance for anything you can share. ---Barbzie

Barbzie - I don't know anything about sarcomatoid carcinoma but wanted you to know that I will be thinking about your father and have said a prayer for him. Your father sounds 80 years young to me! dotdot

Your story is almost exactly the same as mine, including the wait from Mayo. The difference, my Dad is 83. Please tell me the status of your Dad? We found out today about my Father. I wish you the very best!

I just received your message today, and it's two weeks after you wrote it----sorry. My dad has gotten incredibly weaker by the day. He came home from the hospital three weeks ago to be in hospice care. We thought he'd be able to have some quality time with my mom while he waited out the end of this disease. Unfortunately, that's not been the case. He is lucid and conscious, communicative and aware. He also is extremely weak. Turning from his back to his side in his hospital bed at home takes all the strength he has. He has been on oxygen 24/7 since he got home and has a portable oxygen rolling carrier with four canisters of oxygen for the times we thought he'd be able to get to church, out to breakfast with mom, perhaps cruise the aisles at Target like they always liked to do together. He thought that he would certainly be able to visit, play checkers or pinocle with family when they came to see him. The truth is, we got the room ready for him in the family room downstairs, set up an easy chair by the window to watch the birds and the garden, expected him to be able to sit on the patio and soak in the sun and just have some quality time, but within days walking carefully to the bathroom became walking with a walker, to taking a wheelchair, to not being able to get from the bed to the wheelchair without tons of effort. He has so quickly gone from a 200 pound six-footer to someone who is so weak and thin---and that was within two weeks. He is on liquid morphine, mostly to open up his breathing, oxygen, breathing treatments every four hours, slow-acting morphine every twelve hours, plus a host of other things for constipation, sleeplessness, anxiety, etc. It's evident that the end is coming quicker than we'd ever thought. He says he really has no pain, but his left shoulder has increasingly become very uncomfortable for him to sleep on. That was also a place where he felt a little tender when he left the hospital. I don't know what else to tell you, other than Dad keeps hoping the medicines will somehow cause him to breathe easier and he's frustrated that he is so weak and sleeps so much of the time. He has no appetite, except for yogurt and sherbet. He won't even let anyone mention food around him, it's so distasteful. It's so hard for my mom, who is trying everything she can to get him to thrive a little bit more, but the disease is taking its toll. My mom's seventy eight and sleeps on the couch to be able to help him several times a night when he can't sleep or needs to go to the bathroom or panics. It's such a tough situation, all the way around. I hope your dad has better chances of having more quality time now that he's diagnosed. It was really hard not being able to find out much about this rare disease. We did find that out of 1,000 lung cancer patients, this particular form of cancer only hits around two. Please keep in touch and let me know how your dad is doing. Sincerely, Barbzie

Again, our situation sounds incredibly close. My Dad, also 6 feet tall, my Mother also 78 years old. Our Dads have the same illness. My Dad has also lost a tremendous amount of weight. Down form 210 to about 180 Lbs. He has no appetite. The last few days, he has had high fever with chills. Not a lot of energy. He spent most of last week in the hospital. The Doctor said he had about 9-10 months with Chemo. So far, he has had one treatment that made him extremely sick. It is hard to see him go through the pain. And, it is even harder on Mom. At this point, the only thing we can do is pray for a miracle. And, I shall include your Dad in my prayers also. Best regards,

Yes, our dads' cases sound very similar. The difference I see is that my dad was given no treatment options. The radiologist came in while he was in the hospital and in a very loving way said that there was no way he could try to use radiation on my dad because this type of cancer doesn't have an actual place to aim at----it's all scattered in little pockets along the lining of the chest wall and the lung. To aim at such a broad area with radiation would mean that the healthy organs would be killed also. And to aim at just a few of the pockets would do little good since there are so many more throughout the surfaces. Then the oncologist was straight with us and told us that chemotherapy would be extremely hard for Dad, since the cancer is so aggressive and moves so fast, and that the effects of chemo would probably cut DOWN on his time on earth, not extend it, so he saw no reason why dad should start chemo. That, of course, alleviated his needing to make a choice of treatment, but it also left us with just coming home to die. I hope that your Dad has options and can kick this awful disease. I will pray for your dad, also. What's his name, as well as your mom's? My dad's name is Len, and my mom is Stel. God bless you, Tex. Hang in there.

Chemo was an option for Dad. The cancer is in the ribs and lungs. At the end of today, he will have gone through two treatments. He became very ill following the 1st treatment. However, the Doctors believe the illness was due to a different infection. We shall see how he does after today. My Dad is C.A. and my Mom is Lucille. My Dad, so far, has a very positive outlook. I only wish I had his strength. Eventhough he was told that with Chemo, perhaps he would have 9-10 months. We are hoping they were wrong. I live 600 miles away, and that makes it very hard indeed. Thanks for the name exchange. We have also been praying for your Dad. Now we can mention him by name also. The very best to you and your family.

Hello Barbzie, could you please email me. You can get me at --- Message edited by CancerCompass staff: for personal protection, email address removed. Please review CancerCompass Member Guidelines at http://www.cancercompass.com/common/guidelines.html ---. My Daddy age 67 passed away July 28th from Metastiaic Spindle Cell Carcinoma (Sarcomatoid Carcinoma). I would be interested in talking to you. Please keep the faith and give your Daddy a kiss from me. Michele from Brentwood in Northern, CA

Dear Michele, My dad also passed away from this rare and ruthless form of cancer. I will be very happy to write you. I'm running out now, but will be back later to answer whatever you want to ask, or share whatever you wish to share. Sincerely, Barbzie

My Daddy age 67 passed away July 28th from Metastiaic Spindle Cell Carcinoma (Sarcomatoid Carcinoma and Plurel Efusion. We had an autopsy done of just his lung area and that is what came back. This was such a shock for me and my family since Daddy was always well. His Father lived to be 101. From speaking to his doctors and doing some research of my own. I hear it is a rare cancer. I haven't been able to find out if it could be from asbestos or anything like that, have you? How is your Daddy doing now? What state do you live in? We are in Calif. Michele