Need Advice

My husband had his surgery at Moffitt on the 26th July.They took his right lung's top lobe out and resectioned his Bronchi tube. He is now cancer free. Our Onc whants to do Chemo starting Sept 2 Carboplatin and taxol he will be using for 16 weeks. Gary will be going once a week for three weeks and have a week off and do that for 16 weeks. I am just wondering since he is Cancer free why not just do scans every two months for one year and then every 4-6 months for the next 4 years? Has anyone on this board skipped the chemo?

Thanks in advance,
Lorrie

Elkiesmom -
Your husband's surgery sounds much like mine with a couple of exceptions. My right middle lobe was completely removed and a resection done on the upper lobe (couldn't remove both lobes because of my poor pulmonary function test). My surgeon wanted me to do chemotherapy but my onclogist was not as adamant - thought we could wait it out and do chemo when warranted but gave me the option because he had complete faith in my surgeon. I opted for chemo because my surgeon scared the bejezus out of me. Did it help? I don't know. I was fine for 1 year (plus a few months) but then my CEA kept rising so we knew it was back somewhere (it took 4 Pet Scans and another year to finally find it) and I resumed chemotherapy. I say I don't know if it helped because I might have been OK for that year without chemo - no one knows for sure.

I believe you mentioned carboplatin and taxol - those are pretty mean drugs (I used them as my third line and they did work but I have taken all my oncologist feels comfortable giving). I would ask why the oncologist chose those 2 drugs because there are others that aren't so hard on you - especially if they are saying he is cancer free.

Hope this helps some. Always remember we are the lucky ones - so many people have such advanced cancer when it is found that they can't do surgery.

dotdot

Thank you mary. We do not have s surgeon anymore because at Moffit once you are released after your post op app't they are done with you. I did ask a question at the post op visit last week and I was told they are only surgeons and that is all they do. I don't know how to take that except my husband would not have had the surgery if he had gone with our first surgeon that is at our community hospital. He was told by surgeon #1 that he Might be able to do the surgery and he would not have touched the bronchi tubes. Gary would have been opened up and then closed. Moffitt said this is not a problem and he did do a great job.
I do believe that they are using those Chemo drugs because Gary had nsclc squamous cell. My understanding about that type of cancer is that it is slow growing but it does move quickly thru the blood stream and goes to another part of the body.Gary's cancer had grown to almost the full size of his upper lobe but was fully contained and it was attached to his main bronc tube.
I am going to have Gary call the onc and ask again about another option on the Chemo drugs.
Lorrie

Lorrie -
Just curious about your response to my post. I signed my name "dotdot" my screen name but you wrote my name as Mary. How did you know that?

dotdot

Mary when I opened your last response to me it said I think from Mary some place on the reply.I am sorry if I used your name but that is what I saw I was wondering about that also.
Lorrie

Dotdot when you reply to a message the message that you are responding to is just below were you are typing. I am replying to my message and it shows my given name also + the first letter of my last name. It shows in screen name.
Lorrie

Lorraine - First, it was not a problem at all so no need to apologize. I was just curious. I have never scrolled down when I reply to a message and have gotten all frustrated when I can't remember a name or some other detail so I am glad to know it is at the bottom of the page.

Great discovery!

dotdot

I can't remember a name or some other detail so I am glad to know it is at the bottom of the page.
That I think is how I found it?
Please skip the Lorraine the only one who calls me Lorraine is my brother. Can't get him to break that habit. Have a great weekend. This is our last weekend before Chemo starts for us.
Lorrie

Lorrie -
I want to tell you about my personal experience with carboplatin and taxol. I took mine every 3 weeks for 8 sessions I believe and it took almost 5 hours to complete the infusion. On day 3, each and every time, I would have what I call "bone pain" like the worst flu you could imagine - the aches and pains. I was able to take Lortab and control the pain and it only lasted a couple of days. You might not want to mention this to your husband (sometimes I wonder if we don't experience what we read) but if he complains of really bad aches and pains that is what it is. The doctor didn't tell me about that probably because he thought if he mentioned it I would surely have that side affect. Also, watch out for neuropathy.

Good luck to you and your husband!

dotdot

I took mine every 3 weeks for 8 sessions I believe and it took almost 5 hours to complete the infusion.

Thanks Dotdot. That is why Gary is taking it every week for three weeks and gets one week off.He will do this for 16 weeks. The ONC said this way there should be less side effects then the once every three week chemo and he will still be able to work. We will see.I have only been telling Gary the positve things as not to worry him.
Lorrie