Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

"Remission" of Stage IIIB Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Question My mother was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer stage IIIB. She has completed her 6 treatments of chemotherapy (taxol). The tumor has shrunk from 4cm to about the size of a thumbnail. Her doctor has now told us that he will do...
Brachytherapy at the Carina Question I have a patient status post chemotherapy and radiation therapy for non-small cell (squamous) carcinoma of the right upper lung. He now has a recurrence confirmed by biopsy in his carina, and brachytherapy has been suggested. Is there any...
Brain Metastases from Lung Cancer Question A good friend of mine was recently diagnosed with brain metastases from his lung cancer, adenocarcinoma type. The neurosurgeon said to him that surgery is the treatment of choice for his case. He was also seen by a radiation oncologist who...
Bronchioloalveolar carcinoma Question My father was diagnosed with bronchioloalveolar carcinoma with bone metastasis. He passed away very quickly. He was told that this type of cancer does not respond to chemotherapy. Can you tell me why this type of cancer is so unresponsive?...
Carboplatin/Taxol Weekly vs. Every 3 Weeks Question I was recently diagnosed with non-resectable Stage IIIB non-small lung cancer. My treatment to date has been 33 radiation therapy treatments concurrently with 7 low-dose carboplatin and taxol chemotherapy treatments given weekly with...
Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy vs. Surgery Question Yesterday, my father was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma type of non-small cell lung cancer. A tumor the size of a lemon was found on his right lung and found to have spread to his lymph nodes. He will be receiving more tests next week to...
Does lung cancer spread when exposed to air? Question My father has been diagnosed with Stage I non-small cell lung cancer. We are considering surgical resection. Is there any truth to the claim that cancer spreads when the "air hits it"? Answer Blair Marshall, MD, Thoracic Surgeon,...
Enrollment in a Clinical Trial? Question My husband was recently diagnosed with lung cancer and is considering other treatment options or even enrolling in a randomized trial. I would be worried that if he does enroll in a trial, he would receive a placebo and not be treated...
Follow Up for Stage IIIA Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Question After therapy for stage IIIA NSCLC, my doctors said we would do follow up chest x-rays every 3 months for the next 2 years, and then twice a year for 3 years. I questioned why they would not do CT and or PET scans, and I was told that if...
Lung Cancer Surgery and Seniors Question Would you recommend lung cancer surgery on an 80 year old with non-small cell lung cancer who is in good health? What type of surgeon should do this procedure? What steps would you recommend for the most aggressive approach? How can a...
Non-small cell lung cancer with neuro-endocrine features Question I recently was diagnosed with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer with neuro-endocrine features. I am unable to find any information on the web about this type of cancer. Can you give me more definitive information? Answer Barbara...
PET Scan for Lung Cancer Question I am a medical student. I heard a lot of discussion of using PET scans as a diagnostic tool for staging non small-cell lung cancer. Can you provide me more information? Thanks! Answer Li Liu, MD, OncoLink editorial assistant, responds: ...
Pleural Effusion with Negative Cytology Question My mom was treated for stage IIIA lung cancer (non-small cell lung cancer). She had chemotherapy combined with radiation therapy, finished treatment in March, and was declared in remission in May. In August, she had a pleural effusion, but...
Progression of Non Small-Cell Lung Cancer Question My husband was diagnosed with stage IIIB adenocarcinoma, which presented with superior vena cava syndrome. He has received radiation treatment concurrent with chemotherapy and is now receiving full strength chemotherapy. We were told at the...
Sheep Virus Linked to Lung Cancer? Question My husband lived and worked on a farm in South Africa with sheep for many years. He has just been diagnosed with Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer. I have been searching on the web and found a website about a disease that sheep in South...
Surgery for Stage IIIB Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Question Our mother was just told that she has stage IIIB poorly differentiated non-small cell lung cancer. They cannot do surgery because it is too close to her aorta. We live in a small town and we are wondering if there is a chance that if we...
Treatment for Stage IIIA Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Question My 69-year-old mother-in-law was recently diagnosed with Stage IIIA (T3N1) non-small cell lung cancer. She also has emphysema with low lung volume but very good lung function. She is going to undergo 3-4 weeks of chemo (taxol and...
Treatment for Stage IIIB Non Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Question My mother has been diagnosed with stage IIIB non-small cell lung carcinoma with cancer also in the lymph nodes. There is a mass in her right upper lung and it is inoperable because of the stage it is in. They are treating her with radiation...
Treatment for Stage IIIB Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Question My wife has just been confirmed through a biopsy of having stage IIIB non-small cell lung cancer. Lymph nodes in her neck and chest are involved. We have yet to see an oncologist. Hope to this week. What treatments are recommended? What...
Treatment of Stage IIIB Non-small Cell Lung Cancer with Bevacizumab Question I recently discovered that my dad has stage IVA non-small cell lung cancer with a malignant pleural effusion. He is scheduled to undergo chemotherapy using carboplatin and paclitaxel, and his medical oncologist is also considering adding...
What is Bronchioloalveolar Carcinoma? Question What is differential bronchioloalveolar cancer? Answer Charles B. Simone, II, MD, Radiation Oncologist at Penn Medicine, responds: Bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) is a subtype of adenocarcinoma of the lung. The term BAC, however,...