Latest Non-Small Cell discussions http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/cancers/non-small-cell/1,0,119,54.htm Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ My dad died from non-small cell cancer on March 29, 2008.  We think it began as lung cancer but he was told that he had CUP, cancer of unknown primary back in February 2007.  We tried everything.  I went to every appointment that my dad had, whether it was with the Oncologist, or a CAT scan or chemo.  I was very involved up to the day he died (as I am an only child).  Since my dad died, my mom has become very angry at me and the world in general.  She is now on anti-depressants, but is very difficult to talk to.   I miss my dad so much and am still grieving myself but my mom has now become a main concern and I don't know what to do.  I am trying to be very understanding, but she is very distant and difficult to get through to.  I'm wondering if anyone has had the same experience? Thanks,Cindy http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,23890,0.htm 3kidzmom Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hi, please advise me: taking Tarceva in the early morning right after wake-up and eat meal 1 hr after or  taking it 2 hrs after dinner before going to bed, which way is the best?Thanks you so much http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,23657,0.htm sinhsanh Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hello my name is Larry.My father was diagnosed with NSCLC 5 monhs ago. He is going threw and has been working as far as keeping the cancer from spreading. I wanted to seek a second opinon from MD Anderson. I want to talk to anyone that has experiance with MD. Please email me..I would like to know if there are any alternative treatments being given there...--Message edited by CancerCompass staff. For personal protection, email address removed. Consider private reply. Please review CancerCompass Member Guidelines at http://www.cancercompass.com/common/guidelines.html-- Thank YouGod BlessLarry http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,23435,0.htm Larry28 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT My mother is in stage 4 nscl cancer. after 4chemo treatments she was too sick to continue.  heart had a fib from avastin.. very sick to stomach, diarrhea.  That was 6-6-07. this Feb we went to Seattle cancer alliance they put on tarceva.  after 2 days she was again sick to her stomach she thought she would die.  no one seems to have stomach problems? please let me know your experience. She is in her mid 70's thank you Diana http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,22735,0.htm Marrie7512 Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT My mother in law was diagnosed with non small cell lung cancer, stage 3b, in Nov.  Since then she has been in & out of the hospital with 2 heart attacks.  She has just finished 3 rounds of chemo & is half way through a six week radiation therapy.  They have decided to stop the chemo until she is done with the radiation, as it is too hard on her physically.   She is 81.  I would like to hear from anyone who is dealing with similar situation.  It is hard to see her so weak. http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,22012,0.htm merrym Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT I was diagnosed a year ago this month with stage iv non small cell lung cancer.  I have gone through two rounds of chemotherapy by infusion.  On 2-27-08 i started on the chemotherapy pill, tarceva.  Almost immediatly i noticed my breathing had improved; the shortness of breath was not as bad as it was; i had more energy and stamina.  On the 4th of march, i noticed a rash had developed on my face around the nose area; and the shortness of breath had returned. The following day the rash had spread to include my chin and around my mouth; and the shortness of breath was worse than the day before.  Has anyone experienced these reactions? http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,21708,0.htm PALMA Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT My mother has NSCLC which has spread to her bones, she was on Tarceva but our doctors took her off it 4 days ago as her skin was beginning to blister quite badly. Prior to beingon Tarceva, she would groan all day and night, very loudly.  She was hospitalised and the pain control team took her through all the painkillers and settle on Naprxen which I thought had worked.  She was also given Tarceva at the same time and as soon she she had it she began walking, we went on holiday and she was like her old self despite her advanced stage. Now that she is off the Tarceva, she sits with her eyes closed the whole time, groaning.  She won't talk to us, won't answer any questions and I have to force her to take her medication.  I've managed to get her to tell me that she isn't in pain.  All she can say is she 'doesn't feel good' and that she hasn't got pain. She says she feels weak and tired and groans virtually all day and all night. If she isn't in pain then and she can't explain what is causing her to groan I don't know what to do.  Our doctors have run out of options, they've tried all the painkillers going, but she is saying she isn't in pain.I'm so worried, I can't eat or sleep.  I wondered if anyone else has had this experience and if they can tell me what she is feeling.  Our doctors are stumped and they can't help as she can't explain it, and they are good doctors.  They say they will have to leave her like that for a few weeks and review whether they can put her back on the tarceva but the blistered skin was very bad.Help! http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,21487,0.htm carer1 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hi there,My father has just learned that he has advanced stages of nsclc.  he is 67 and seems so healthy otherwise.  He is taking the prognosis so hard and i just wonder from other cancer patients/survivors what my sister and i can do to coach him into a positive place.  In his "real life" he is the smiley-est, happiest guy in the room.  Also, durning chemo, what kind of care will he need?  I have volunteered to fly home every other week to help my mom out...just so she doesn't lose it.  My sister is finishing up with grad school and my business allows me a lot of flexibility.  Also,  any suggestions for natural treatment to coincide with chemo?  He can't get radiation because there is a met. lesion on his liver.   Tomorrow, we will have a full prognosis. Thank you,Jennifer http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,20700,0.htm Jennifer15 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT My husband had stage 1V non small cell lung cancer which started in left lung then spread to the second and then the bones.After 2x3 sessions of chemo and vitamins B17/C/A and multi vitamin and enzymes he has the scan showing it has gone.He had many prayers and family fasted.Please ask all your friends to pray for you and ask for Gods help yourself. Keep positive and try not to stress and try vitamins which have anti cancer in it.We were told that my husband would not last very long, if we were lucky a year.God Bless you all and don't give up at any stage!Contact if we could support you in anyway.   http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,20571,0.htm koikkeril Sat, 02 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT I am 47 yo and was diagnosed with NMCLC in mid December.  The diagnosis came from a test i had due to another illness.  I was asymptomanic - felt fine. So this came as a complete surprise and I handled it quite well -asking the doc questions, not crying, talking to friends in a clinical fashion, etc,I have had the CT tests, the PET- CT test, the bronchoscopy, the blood tests.  Surgery is next week and a procedure called VATS - Video Assisted Thorasic Surgery.- is being used.(Three incisions around the tumor are made:   one for the video, one for the surgeon, one for the drainage tube. Hospital stay approximately 5 days.  Was told by doc this is the best kind of cancer a person can get.  Will probably have to do chemo afterwards (and lose by long curly locks!)  So I was okay with all of this - it is what it is, I reasoned.  But as the surgery date looms closer and I read entries on these on-line forums, I am getting scared. Two weeks ago I was rushed to the hospital with breathing problems and severe chest pains. The doc could not reason what happened. The breathing gets worse every day,  After completing a small activity, my breathing becomes labored and then the chest pain starts (like an elephant sitting on my chest stabbing me with a knife.) The nebulizer medication makes me shake so badly I have stopped using it.Please, if you have the time, could you  please drop a line and let me know if I am being unreasonable in my feelings or does everyone with cancer go through these feelings of fear and nervousness.  I have been sick most of my life with a variety of illnesses and have never been frightened like this.Thank you for sharing and for your time. http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,20507,0.htm Garcia Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT My mom has recently been diagnosed with non small cell lung  cancer that has metatisized to her brain, abdomen and lymph nodes.  Her oncologists  nurse today told me she probably only has 6-12 months.  She is 84 so I'm sure this is a factor in that diagnosis.   I honestly don't know what I'm looking for except support from others that are going through the same thing.  She opted not to do a clinical trial because her oncologist didn't recommend it because of her age.  She has done 6 whole brain radiation treatments and will have 9 more. After that she'll have radio surgery right to the tumor in the brain.  Her oncologist wants to see how she's doing after all this and then we'll discuss chemo.  Any thoughts or suggestions from anyone?  Has anyone else gone through something similar with a loved one close to her age? I don't want to lose her---I just lost my dad in October.  :-(Thank you for any help.      http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,20058,0.htm bobbi678 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hello everyone my mom wa diag with non small cell lung cancer in Aug. 07 and at the time it had already spread to her bone and her brain. Since then it has spread to the lymph nodes in her neck and under her arms and now it is in both lungs. She has had radiation for comfort care and they said she could go for chemo. She opted not to in order to enjoy what time she had left. Since then it has been a slow decline in her health and the last 2 weeks she sleeps more and more of the day away and she barely eats. She still manages to walk on her own. I guess what i am wondering seeing as how i have never exp this before how will i know when it is getting close to the end. What sorta things start to happen. Is there a way to really tell whan things are in the very final stage. The doctors seem to really hate trying to give me an idea of time. She has lots of swelling in legs feet and hips, also her liver is filled with fluid and she has right sided congestive heart failure. I am scared and this website has given me the most ans i have ever found but i still need more. I can handle anything someone throws at me as long as i kno what i am dealing with.  Thanks for any info you can all give me. God bless you all!!!! http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,19928,0.htm angelgirl Sun, 20 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hi Mel,     Just wondering how you are doing. How are your medications, and if you are sick from them???  I think of you every day.  Vette http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,19905,0.htm Vette Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hi, I am new to this board. I was told in July -2007 that I have stage 1A- NOMO- non small cell lung cancer so in July my Dr. from Froedtert medical college Wisconsin took my left upper lobe out my cancer was 2.5 cm,but to this day I was never told what kind of cancer I have.Just non small cell. I just know that I don't do chemo or radition I just go in every 4 months has anyone have this happen to them. Should I worry? http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,19863,0.htm edithu Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hi,I am new to this site and this is our story.My father had coughs having sometimes a bit blood  in it since March 07 .After following up with the tests he was  diagnosed for NSCLC Aderocarcinoma Stage 3B in September 07 .He went through 4 Chemotherapy with Taxol+Carboplatine His oncologist suggestion was to start Tarceva. he started taking Tarceva  10 days ago. there is no rash for him.does anybody have experience with  Tarceva working for him/her without having rash???  http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,19808,0.htm Parnak Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hello everyone.....i got results back from ct scans and it seems like all tumors are shrinking and getting smaller. I am so excited. I go back in 4 weeks to be checked again. I have stage 4 nsclc. It seems like the tarceva is working for me very well. The rash is still here and has gone to the loiwer part of body........but as long as tumors are getting smaller i can deal with the rash and thinning hair.................good luck to everyone http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,18947,0.htm joicie Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT I have been on Tarceva for 2 yrs. and am no longer taking the drug. I was wondering if anyone can answer some questions for me.? When will my body return to normal,?  When will I have no more diarrhea, will my hair start to grow, the splitting of my skin on my hands, dry mouth????  I am feeling great, but would love to stop taking lomotil. Thanks for any help. Vette http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,18480,0.htm Vette Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT I just found out from my husband's oncologist that Tarceva costs approximately $8,000.00 per month!  Who can pay that much for a drug?Right now the doctor's office is trying to find out if our ins. company will cover Tarceva.  If not then the remission my husband is in now will be threatened.  I can't believe the cost!!       Has anyone here been on this drug?  How did you pay for it?               Eileen http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,18443,0.htm Cropsey Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT Please help!  My husband and I want desperately to switch him to a different oncologist.  The current physician is so very discouraging.  We want to have someone who knows that the disease is serious but can talk to us with some compassion.  This one only says things like "I can't guarantee you'll be here next year."  This goes on at every visit. (My husband is on a chemo regimen.)Today, my husband spoke with the manager of the office and asked to change doctors.  She called back saying that she spoke to the doctor we requested, and he said that the current physician is a good one and that he is giving the correct treatment.  We know that.  That's not the problem!  It's his personality and lack of kindness. What can we do?  There's only the one office in our town.  There are about 4 oncologists there, plus one who is a palliative care physician.If anyone has had a similar issue please tell me how you dealt with it.Thank you so much......      Eileen     http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,17945,0.htm Cropsey Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT My daughter, age 45, married with 2 children, was diagnosed last month with NSCLC. This was confirmed by Mt. Sinai and Sloan. She lives in Fla. I live in NY. They learned the cancer had spread to her adrenals and brain. They are now doing whole brain radiation and then will start chemo when that is finished. Before the treatment started, she was energetic, lively; her blood work is normal. Now she is fatigued and nauseas. I have read about this on the internet and the statistics are terrifying. I started looking at complementary medicines. Can anyone give some guidance as to which comp. medicines and/r websites that could be helpful? Any help is appreciated. Thanks,  http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,17650,0.htm Helen21 Sat, 03 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT My father had his second occurrence with cancer two years ago.  He had lung cancer and had 30% of his left lung taken out.  After that, he had chemotherapy and millions of scans done afterwards.  He currently has non-small cell cancer spots in his abdomen and his doctor prescribed Tarceva for him.  He has been on it for about two weeks now and has a horrible rash/acne on his face and throughout his scalp that is terribly painful.  I understand this is a side effect, but was wondering if anyone had had previous experience with this drug enough to tell me if the rash/acne ever goes away?  I have also heard that the worse the rash, the better the drug is working.  Has anyone had experience with this as well?  I am not sure because he has yet to go to his scan because it is not until December.  I am extremely worried about him.  If anyone has any previous experience, please let me know.  Thank You.  God Bless. http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,17576,0.htm cmakpsi Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT Does anyone know if a study has been done on tobacco virus? We all know that some smokers get cancer and others don't. Could it be that  virus in the cells of tobacco leaves are transmitted to humans through smoking or chewing tobacco products? http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,17058,0.htm VjeanH Sat, 13 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT I've read so much about NSCLC since my husband was diagnosed almost two years ago. I have a good science background and have to say I'm almost positive cancer begins as a virus. I conclude that: the poisoness RNA protein deposited into a cell by a virus is absorbed by the cell. This protein is metabolized as a normal food.  During cell division, which includes DNA replication, some of the genes on the DNA molecule, become "turned off" or we could say become "damaged", because the cell replicated them from the abnormal protein food deposited by the virus. During the process of cell division the new cell passes on the damaged DNA. The poisoness RNA, did it's job. Now in the skeem of things, these deranged cells cannot be recognized by the the immune system. Because the poisoness RNA stimulates the cell into a faster than normal cell division, tumors grow. The body is in a real bind now because it can't squash the tumors due to the fact it can't recognize them.Some virus, when they make their way into a cell, cause the cell to explode, spreading the virus throughout the body. When this happens, the white cells are alerted and clean up the mess, controlling the infection.Other virus are very crafty. These are the ones that can actually alter the DNA, keeping the bodies defenses useless.The very first tumor is the key to the cure. These cells contain the original DNA error and most probably traces of the original RNA virus. Doctors need to isolate this virus and make a vaccine.I would welcome any comments from. http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,16207,0.htm VjeanH Sat, 15 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT My mom was diagnosed w/ stage 4 non samll cell cancer/adenocarcinoma. It is confined to her chest region but is in her bones. She takes her 1st chemo treatment Tues. 9/11. She is going to have platnium and taxotere as well as zometa. Has anyone else's loved one had this treatment? How did they do and did it hurt more than help?  I would appreciate any feed back at all as this is new to us.  Thank You Patty  http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,16019,0.htm pbtb87 Sun, 09 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT My Mum was last week diagnosed with Stage IV Non Small Cell Lung Cancer.The consultant says she has had it for approx 7 months and that there is a mass in the top lobe of her right lung and small nodules in the other. Because of the nodules in her other lung, they have classified it as stage IV - There is no other involvement.She starts Chemo this Thursday and although initially I was positive towards the outcome, I am now starting to think negatively and feel very scared.My Mum is only 58 and I naturally want her to be around a lot longer than a few months.The consultant won't give her a timed prognosis and says she is otherwise fit and healthy and that they would concentrate on keeping her that way.I would appreciate any advice anyone can offer here. Maybe someone has encountered something similar to my Mums diagnosis? I really don't know what to expect or indeed what is possible in this instance.Thanks in advance. http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,15682,0.htm prest Tue, 28 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT