Husband has cancer

About a month ago my husband came home and said he had spit some flam out
and looked like a little blood in it. I told him time for Dr. Done a x-ray
of chest and something showed up scattered in both lungs. Had a cat scan of
chest, then needle biopsy of lung. Came back as non-small cell carcinoma.
Sent to oncologist. Pet scan done and bone scan. Said not enough tissue for
test she wanted done so ordered lymph node removed from neck so more tissue
for testing she wanted. Throat surgeon decided that while he was sedated
should install chemo port so he would be ready for treatment. Oncologist
said last Friday that lung was not primary and she had to find it to decide
on treatment. Had a colonoscopy done yesterday. Was told there was a mass,
small, not blocking anything but felt it was the primary. Pet scan also
showed lymph nodes in stomach area as being hot. Six years ago he had a
colonoscopy and was completely clear, not even a polyp. Husbands attitude is
very positive at this time. I am worried on how hard to press Dr. tomorrow
on answers and outcome so as not to discourage him. With it already spread
can't see much hope long term. wondering if anybody has advice as how to
handle this. Husband has total faith in me and will believe most anything I
tell him. Thought maybe I could ask the tough questions and if didn't like
the answers tell him after we leave the office how wrong that Dr. is and how
we will prove her wrong. He is 68 years old and still works 8 hrs a day 5
days a week. Can outwork ones much younger. Hard to believe all of this. He
has had about a 16 pd. weight lost Have him on 2 ensure milkshakes a day now
to get some extra calories into him. Thanks for any advice you might have.

Gloria Koshinski wrote:

> About a month ago my husband came home and said he had spit some flam out
> and looked like a little blood in it. I told him time for Dr. Done a x-ray
> of chest and something showed up scattered in both lungs. Had a cat scan of
> chest, then needle biopsy of lung. Came back as non-small cell carcinoma.
> Sent to oncologist. Pet scan done and bone scan. Said not enough tissue for
> test she wanted done so ordered lymph node removed from neck so more tissue
> for testing she wanted. Throat surgeon decided that while he was sedated
> should install chemo port so he would be ready for treatment. Oncologist
> said last Friday that lung was not primary and she had to find it to decide
> on treatment. Had a colonoscopy done yesterday. Was told there was a mass,
> small, not blocking anything but felt it was the primary. Pet scan also
> showed lymph nodes in stomach area as being hot. Six years ago he had a
> colonoscopy and was completely clear, not even a polyp. Husbands attitude is
> very positive at this time. I am worried on how hard to press Dr. tomorrow
> on answers and outcome so as not to discourage him. With it already spread
> can't see much hope long term. wondering if anybody has advice as how to
> handle this. Husband has total faith in me and will believe most anything I
> tell him. Thought maybe I could ask the tough questions and if didn't like
> the answers tell him after we leave the office how wrong that Dr. is and how
> we will prove her wrong. He is 68 years old and still works 8 hrs a day 5
> days a week. Can outwork ones much younger. Hard to believe all of this. He
> has had about a 16 pd. weight lost Have him on 2 ensure milkshakes a day now
> to get some extra calories into him. Thanks for any advice you might have.

Hello Gloria,
Welcome to alt.support.cancer although I'm sorry for the circumstance.
Some people don't want to know the prognosis too soon.
You might ask the oncologist the following:

Are they both adenocarcinoma?
What is the grade?
(Histologic Grade A microscopic measure of how aggressive a tumor is. Grade
I-well differentiated, the least aggressive. Grade II-moderately differentiated,
Grade III-poorly differentiated and Grade IV-undifferentiated.)
Where else has it spread (that can be seen on scans) ?

What do they hope to accomplish with the port?
(chemo shrinks tumors - and by the sounds of it there's not much sizeable to
shrink - unless the outstanding scans show more).
So are they hoping to shrink the lymph nodes in his stomach area?
Is he fit enough for chemo? Should he have a MUGA scan?
Has it spread to the bone?

Steph's an oncologist who helps us out here.
He wrote an algorithm for treatment decisions.
Archived here Steph's "Questions to Ask" http://tinyurl.com/4akk6
You may wish to print it up and take it with you to ask the oncologist.

I hope some of this helps.
Please let us know how things go and keep in touch
J

Gloria Koshinski wrote:

> About a month ago my husband came home and said he had spit some flam out
> and looked like a little blood in it. I told him time for Dr. Done a x-ray
> of chest and something showed up scattered in both lungs. Had a cat scan of
> chest, then needle biopsy of lung. Came back as non-small cell carcinoma.
> Sent to oncologist. Pet scan done and bone scan. Said not enough tissue for
> test she wanted done so ordered lymph node removed from neck so more tissue
> for testing she wanted. Throat surgeon decided that while he was sedated
> should install chemo port so he would be ready for treatment. Oncologist
> said last Friday that lung was not primary and she had to find it to decide
> on treatment. Had a colonoscopy done yesterday. Was told there was a mass,
> small, not blocking anything but felt it was the primary. Pet scan also
> showed lymph nodes in stomach area as being hot. Six years ago he had a
> colonoscopy and was completely clear, not even a polyp. Husbands attitude is
> very positive at this time. I am worried on how hard to press Dr. tomorrow
> on answers and outcome so as not to discourage him. With it already spread
> can't see much hope long term. wondering if anybody has advice as how to
> handle this. Husband has total faith in me and will believe most anything I
> tell him. Thought maybe I could ask the tough questions and if didn't like
> the answers tell him after we leave the office how wrong that Dr. is and how
> we will prove her wrong. He is 68 years old and still works 8 hrs a day 5
> days a week. Can outwork ones much younger. Hard to believe all of this. He
> has had about a 16 pd. weight lost Have him on 2 ensure milkshakes a day now
> to get some extra calories into him. Thanks for any advice you might have.

How's it going, Gloria?
By the way, I wouldn't lie, but that's me.
J - thinking of you

> How's it going, Gloria?
> By the way, I wouldn't lie, but that's me.
> J - thinking of you
> Husband had first chemo Wednesday and came home with a pump until about
> noon Friday. Chemo took about 6 hrs. but being 1st time they put him in a
> private room with TV and a bed.Wanted Subway for lunch so got that for
> him. No problems with anything. Went to work Thursday and Friday. He is
> precast concrete so physical job. Came home tonight and after supper went
> out and done some mowing. Am having trouble trying to keep him on room
> temperature drinks. Cold food or liquids could cause his throat to
> constrict so he isn't supposed to have them. When it is 95 outside and you
> work in that kind of heat you really want a cold drink. The good news was
> his bone scan was completely clear. All the lymph nodes in the trunk of
> his body is involved. Dr. says no cure, 18 months without treatment 24
> with it. At this time he is trying it. The Dr. thinks the chemo might give
> him a more substantial life. She is also hesitant on the time because she
> feels it is very aggressive by the way it has spread. Husband and I both
> agree if it starts getting him down too much we will stop it. All we can
> do is take it one day at a time. The following is the chemo he is getting
> every 2 weeks for a trial of 8 weeks total time, then another pet scan to
> see what is happening. He is going to CancerCare specialists in Decatur,
> IL.
CTSU/CALGB C80405 Phase 111 Trial. This consists of Oxaliplatin/ 5-FU/
Leucovorin with Bevacizumab. Called FOLFOX with Bevacizumab. 5FU generic
Fluorouracil is a antimetabolite which slows or stops growth of cancer
cells. Leucovorin- Folinic acid, brand name Wellcovorin is a type of vitamin
which makes chemo more effective or lessens side effects. Eloxatin, generic
Oxaliplatin which stops or slows growth of cancer cells. Avastin, generic
Bevacizumab blocks angiogenesis making it hard for tumor to grow. Will try
to keep posted as we progress. Still willing to listen to advice.

Gloria Koshinski wrote:

> > Husband had first chemo Wednesday and came home with a pump until about
> > noon Friday. Chemo took about 6 hrs. but being 1st time they put him in a
> > private room with TV and a bed.Wanted Subway for lunch so got that for
> > him. No problems with anything. Went to work Thursday and Friday. He is
> > precast concrete so physical job. Came home tonight and after supper went
> > out and done some mowing. Am having trouble trying to keep him on room
> > temperature drinks. Cold food or liquids could cause his throat to
> > constrict so he isn't supposed to have them. When it is 95 outside and you
> > work in that kind of heat you really want a cold drink. The good news was
> > his bone scan was completely clear. All the lymph nodes in the trunk of
> > his body is involved. Dr. says no cure, 18 months without treatment 24
> > with it. At this time he is trying it. The Dr. thinks the chemo might give
> > him a more substantial life. She is also hesitant on the time because she
> > feels it is very aggressive by the way it has spread. Husband and I both
> > agree if it starts getting him down too much we will stop it. All we can
> > do is take it one day at a time. The following is the chemo he is getting
> > every 2 weeks for a trial of 8 weeks total time, then another pet scan to
> > see what is happening. He is going to CancerCare specialists in Decatur,
> > IL.
> CTSU/CALGB C80405 Phase 111 Trial. This consists of Oxaliplatin/ 5-FU/
> Leucovorin with Bevacizumab. Called FOLFOX with Bevacizumab. 5FU generic
> Fluorouracil is a antimetabolite which slows or stops growth of cancer
> cells. Leucovorin- Folinic acid, brand name Wellcovorin is a type of vitamin
> which makes chemo more effective or lessens side effects. Eloxatin, generic
> Oxaliplatin which stops or slows growth of cancer cells. Avastin, generic
> Bevacizumab blocks angiogenesis making it hard for tumor to grow. Will try
> to keep posted as we progress. Still willing to listen to advice.

http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/CALGB-C80405
Phase III Randomized Study of Cetuximab and/or Bevacizumab in Combination With
Either Oxaliplatin, Fluorouracil, and Leucovorin Calcium (FOLFOX) OR
Irinotecan Hydrochloride, Fluorouracil, and Leucovorin Calcium (FOLFIRI) in
Patients With Previously Untreated Metastatic Adenocarcinoma of the Colon or
Rectum

Secondary
1. Compare response, progression-free survival, time to treatment failure,
and duration of response in patients with unresectable disease treated with
these regimens.
2. Compare toxicity and 60-day survival of patients with unresectable disease
treated with these regimens.
3. Determine whether patients with unresectable disease become eligible for
surgical resection after treatment with these regimens.
__________________________________________________
Since it's in his lungs and stomach area, if anyone suggests resection, colon,
yes; possible for palliation.
Liver - no; will only extend his suffering, because the cancer will spread or
will have spread elsewhere.

If the lymph nodes, start causing him problems; ask for consult with radiation
oncologist.
If bone pain starts, ask for consult with radiation oncologist.

Ask for CEA level (bloodwork at diagnosis). Ensuing ones may tell you whether a
good response.

Continue with quality of life activities. Why the cancel of the Talladega race?
Going but with wheelchair instead, if necessary and in the stands?
Or you don't expect him to be able to drive there?
Rent big screen TV or view at sports bar?
Thanks for update, Gloria.
J

I already got him a big screen TV, 51 inch. We do have a large living room
so can get by with it. No way I would go to Talladega, to far from known
medical care, plus he couldn't drive that far. He has driven himself to work
the last 2 days but around here he tells me to drive. Today doesn't know if
he is tired or bored. Not supposed to drink or eat anything above room
temperature and he doesn't like that at all. Went to Wal-Mart with me for
weekly groceries and after everything carried in he went and laid down for a
nap but he did get up at 5:30 this AM. Normally sleeps in on week-ends until
6:30-7:00. Just wait and see. If he goes outside he is supposed to wear
large brimmed hat, long sleeves and long pants. At 95-97 not very
comfortable. Can't blame him. Talk with you later.

Gloria Koshinski wrote:

> I already got him a big screen TV, 51 inch. We do have a large living room
> so can get by with it. No way I would go to Talladega, to far from known
> medical care, plus he couldn't drive that far. He has driven himself to work
> the last 2 days but around here he tells me to drive. Today doesn't know if
> he is tired or bored. Not supposed to drink or eat anything above room
> temperature and he doesn't like that at all. Went to Wal-Mart with me for
> weekly groceries and after everything carried in he went and laid down for a
> nap but he did get up at 5:30 this AM. Normally sleeps in on week-ends until
> 6:30-7:00. Just wait and see. If he goes outside he is supposed to wear
> large brimmed hat, long sleeves and long pants. At 95-97 not very
> comfortable. Can't blame him. Talk with you later.

Hello Gloria,
There's some excellent lightweight clothing for "sun sensitive" people. (more
expensive)
If you're interested, I'll go get the websites. Let me know.

In case others don't know, my guess is your husband's swallowing mechanism has
been affected by a prior injury.

Thanks for explaining about the driving and the races.
Yes, please keep in touch.
J

I have a family member who has to avoid the sun. The brand we have
found this the most comfortable and provides the most protection.
http://www.sungrubbies.com/


Also the US has new sunscreens available, but in Canada newer and
better sunscreens are available and can be ordered over the internet.

I am a Nascar widow glad to hear you enjoy the sport.

I have a family member who has to avoid the sun. The brand we have
found this the most comfortable and provides the most protection.
http://www.sungrubbies.com/


Also the US has new sunscreens available, but in Canada newer and
better sunscreens are available and can be ordered over the internet.

I am a Nascar widow glad to hear you enjoy the sport.