How bad of a situation am I in?

[Mr. Pedantic]

Yes i guess you are right. Maybe i should not think about the end at this time.
One thing that bugs me the most is that i don't seem to be aware of ANY drastic and visible symptoms. I don't even have an idea to why my dad went to a bronchoscopy analysis. We suspected that he might be having a weak pneumonia cause he was feeling exhausted and didn't have much stamina. I think he had a slightly increased body temperature, but not any drastic symptoms. Do you think this weak symptoms might be related with early staging of the tumor?

I apologize for any written mistakes, English is not my native language and i am all in pain and panic. You have no idea how much i appreciate your feedback...

I guess the obvious question is, are you absolutely sure he has lung cancer? Has a biopsy been taken that confirms this?

 

[disappoint]

Ask your doctor if Cyberknife is available and if it's applicable in your dad's case:

http://www.cyberknife.com/CyberknifeTreat.aspx

The CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery System is a non-invasive alternative to surgery for the treatment of both cancerous and non-cancerous tumors anywhere in the body, including the prostate, lung, brain, spine, liver, pancreas and kidney. The treatment – which delivers high doses of radiation to tumors with extreme accuracy – offers new hope to patients who have inoperable or surgically complex tumors, or who may be looking for a non-surgical option. To date, more than 100,000 patients have been treated and more than 226 systems are installed worldwide.

 

[stargazr]

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

 

[BoomerD]

Wait and see what the doctor has to say before you start panicking. It may not be a "bad case" of cancer...and may have been caught early enough that it's treatable.

As for side effects of radiation and chemotherapy, that depends on too many things to go into here, but could be fairly mild, or could be very painful and debilitating for your dad...just wait and see what the prognosis actually is.

 

[disappoint]

It's been my experience that once you're diagnosed with a serious cancer, you end up spending all your money on treatments that make you sick as hell, you end up with a terrible quality of life...and you still die from cancer.

Wait and see what the doctor has to say before you start panicking. It may not be a "bad case" of cancer...and may have been caught early enough that it's treatable.

As for side effects of radiation and chemotherapy, that depends on too many things to go into here, but could be fairly mild, or could be very painful and debilitating for your dad...just wait and see what the prognosis actually is.

:hmm:

 

[AstroGuardian]

I guess the obvious question is, are you absolutely sure he has lung cancer? Has a biopsy been taken that confirms this?

Yes, the biopsy was done during bronchoscopy treatment.
OK, here is some updated info that the doctor gave me:

It is originally written in my language but i managed to find the Latin and English words, and also found that my translation is correct. So here is what the preliminary diagnosis says:

Microscopic samples: Diagnosis is done by observing multiple tissue fragments measuring 0,4mm in length (or diameter)

there is a big font text as a message header: CARCINOMA PLANNOCELULARE

Microscopic findings: The investigation has shown that there have been squamous meta-plastic cells under which an invasive nests of moderately differentiated keratinizing type of planocellular carcinoma.
Also visible are big inflammatory infiltrate of neutrophile granulocytes.

Does this sound like something familiar to you?

This is the translation i was able to come up with. I plan to read something about these terminology and try to see what is that all about. And

I have no further info except this mail the doctor (our friend) sent me. He also told me not to tell him anything and that he will organize a group of thoracic surgeons to check him out and prepare him for surgery.

 

[AstroGuardian]

Ask your doctor if Cyberknife is available and if it's applicable in your dad's case:

http://www.cyberknife.com/CyberknifeTreat.aspx

I don't think there is something like this here in the Balkan peninsula where i live.

 

[AstroGuardian]

Wait and see what the doctor has to say before you start panicking. It may not be a "bad case" of cancer...and may have been caught early enough that it's treatable.

As for side effects of radiation and chemotherapy, that depends on too many things to go into here, but could be fairly mild, or could be very painful and debilitating for your dad...just wait and see what the prognosis actually is.

I try not to panic so i don't show it or my dad getting suspicious. He asked me twice about whether i got a message from the doctor or not. The last thing i want is him knowing that i lie to him.

We have a meeting with thoracic surgeons in Monday at 10:00. Damn this weekend will be a long one. I am also the best man on my best friend's wedding in Sunday. I don't know if i will be able to pull this event off but i will do my best not to show the huge rock sitting on my heart right now

 

[djnsmith7]

I agree with the folks above, the doctor should give him the diagnosis.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

Yes, the biopsy was done during bronchoscopy treatment.
OK, here is some updated info that the doctor gave me:

It is originally written in my language but i managed to find the Latin and English words, and also found that my translation is correct. So here is what the preliminary diagnosis says:

Microscopic samples: Diagnosis is done by observing multiple tissue fragments measuring 0,4mm in length (or diameter)

there is a big font text as a message header: CARCINOMA PLANNOCELULARE

Microscopic findings: The investigation has shown that there have been squamous meta-plastic cells under which an invasive nests of moderately differentiated keratinizing type of planocellular carcinoma.
Also visible are big inflammatory infiltrate of neutrophile granulocytes.

Does this sound like something familiar to you?

This is the translation i was able to come up with. I plan to read something about these terminology and try to see what is that all about. And

I have no further info except this mail the doctor (our friend) sent me. He also told me not to tell him anything and that he will organize a group of thoracic surgeons to check him out and prepare him for surgery.

I'm assuming 'plannocellular' means squamous cell. The fact that it's moderately differentiated is good news, it means the grade is likely to be low (i.e. it will spread relatively slowly). Basically most cells in the body are differentiated into their different functions, and this reduces the potential number and speed of divisions they can make. A highly dedifferentiated tumor would mean that the cancer cells have regressed a long way back from lung cells to stem cells, meaning they are able to divide more quickly. The same with the fact that it's producing keratin, that means it's still relatively differentiated.

The presence of neutrophils as far as I can tell just means that the body knows the tumour is there and is doing something to fight it. Don't really know what it indicates in terms of prognosis, sorry.

However, the fact that your friend sent this to you in an email instead of telling you or your father directly is a bit worrying.

 

[alkemyst]

I am writing this with much pain in my hearth.
Today my father has been diagnosed with lung carcinoma.

I don't know yet which stage it is. He is 62 years old and in good physical shape so far. I just got the info from a friend who is the doctor.

What should i as a son expect? I haven't even told him yet but i will have to tell him tomorrow morning. How bad is my situation. How painful will it be for him?

Please share some experiences with me if you happen to have some.

Thanks
Astro

I am hoping this is a true story. Personally I don't know of any doctor (and much of my family and friends are surgeons/physicians) that would give a diagnosis to anyone but the patient unless a PoA was in place/etc.

Anyway...as a son your job is to just be supportive. Chances are being healthy now he can beat it, but it's going to be a long and painful road. Thorasic surgery is probably some of the most painful.

My mom went through this almost 10 years ago and has been cancer free. She still has pain at times though due to needing them to go back into her chest a few times.

She wanted to die a few times.

It's up to you to stay positive.

 

[Powermoloch]

Have the doctor spill the beans, you as a son give tons of support and love for your father.

Best of luck :thumbsup:

It's the end...think of it as a beginning of something new !

 

[sunzt]

focus activities and thoughts about living a good life with him rather than the other scenario.

 

[AstroGuardian]

However, the fact that your friend sent this to you in an email instead of telling you or your father directly is a bit worrying.

I suppose you mean that the diagnosis might be wrong or biased. The thing is that healthcare sucks here. Doctors don't give a damn for their patients. They are just in for the wage and nothing else. It is considered here that if you don't have connections here you are as good as dead. The reason he is sending me emails is that this doctor is supposed to care about my family and that he will take the time to look at the tomography, think, spend some time trying to make as good diagnosis as possible. And the other risk is that this doctor is retired but still highly respected doctor so he should not meet patients in public, he just helps fellow doctors.

However i have the x-ray shots and the tomography shots so it's more than sure that the other pulmologists will see those and also i will demand a second biopsy and bronchoscopy made in a private clinic (We are still partly socialist country so there are private and public healthcare institutions. But private is expensive as hell.)

I am afraid my dad can be mad at me for not telling him before. I have never even once lied to him even when i was young and did some crazy things in the past, i have never hurt him in any way.
48 more hours to go until we go to the clinic

 

[Mo0o]

1. That doctor should NOT have revealed any health information to you, especially before telling the patient.
2. The biopsy only tells you its cancer. Without staging information its impossible to give you any idea of the possible clinical course
3. It is the doctors job to break the news to your father. You should be there to support him but you should not be the one to break th news to him. You will fuck it up. You will not know all the details. You will not be able to answer any questions related to his medical treatment.

In summary: dont say anything before the doctor does

 

[AstroGuardian]

I am hoping this is a true story. Personally I don't know of any doctor (and much of my family and friends are surgeons/physicians) that would give a diagnosis to anyone but the patient unless a PoA was in place/etc.

Oh man, let me tell you something. I didn't know of any doctor that would give diagnosis to anyone but the patient myself while i lived in the US and Canada. But here things ave very different. As i wrote in the post above this is ex-socialist land. When doctor's job is guaranteed and no doctor was ever punished for making idiotic mistakes, why worry and why try to do his job when he will receive his monthly payment for sure?

 

[Murloc]

I'm sure it's illegal even in your ex-socialist land, it's probably just that no one gives a shit and the laws aren't enforced.
Are you from hungary?

You don't tell him anything, let the doctor tell him. If he asks you if you knew it before him, whatever, but if he doesn't there's no need to.

 

[DaTT]

I truly hope all goes well and the situation is as "good" as it can be.

 

[gophins72]

best of luck OP.

 

[AstroGuardian]

UPDATE:

We went to the doctor. This one is Thoracal Surgeon. He will give my dad a chemotherapy for 4 cycles with hope that the carcinoma will shrink. If it shrinks they will take out only the top half of the right lobus. If it doesn't help then they will take out his entire right lobus hoping that the hearth will survive only with a single lobus (lung wing).

 

[AstroGuardian]

Dad seems to be recovering well after the surgery. He is missing a lobus but at least he is alive.

 

[stargazr]

Sounds good!

 

[rasczak]

great news!

 

[Tweak155]

Awesome

 

[bruceb]

Very sorry to hear that. I hope for the best for him. My mother had lung cancer in 1982 (she was a smoker) and back then, treatments were radiation and chemotherapy. I do not know what stage it was, but it turned out to not be curable. It was about 6 months or so from diagnosis to the end. A lot depends on how much there is, how far it has spread. If caught very early, they may be able to stop it.