Dad has LUNG CANCER .... ????

Just found out that my Dad has lung cancer. From what I know today, the detection of the cancer is at a very early stage. They found a small spot in one lung ... then they did a CAT scan, etc. .... and they say "yes ... this is the real deal ... you have cancer" ....

He is 76.
He has been smoking a lot (!!!) since high school.
He is not health conscious.
He is probably smoking right this moment as you read this.
I take more vitamins in a day then he has in his life time.

Only a miracle would save him and add a few more years.
In your opinion ... HOW MUCH LONGER COULD HE GO (with a diagnosis such as this)?

Someone reading this has been through this. I would really like to know what your experience was.

Really appreciate a moment of your time on this .....

hey ... thanks everyone .... really appreciate you taking a moment to comment and also for your prayers ... !!! really means a lot ... thank you again!

You said they caught it early so it is treatable. He can live for a long time if they treat it right away. Cancer caught early is not a death sentence.

If its small his prognosis could be good. Ask the oncologist.

I havent gone through this, but wanted to say my prayers and thoughts are with you and your family..

From what I know if its early in stage then they have a better chance of getting it and his diagnose will be higher.

Lots of variables. I know cancer survivors who have had partial lung removal that have lived (so far) 8 years after diagnosis. If left untreated, it will most difinitely kill, and it can go pretty quickly. I've seen dime sized spots grow to enveloping both lungs in under six months on x-rays. Surgery and removal of all or part of a lung is about the only thing that offers any real hope.

I hope your dad gets good treatment and beats it. It's a hard thing in the best of circumstances and outcomes.

If its at an early stage, then looks like it could be treatable. He definitely needs a change in lifestyle in order to keep healthy, but sounds like he wont.

My dad was diagnosed with lung cancer for the first time at age 81. He had a very vigilant doctor who caught it in its very early stages. He had surgery in which they removed the tumor and a section of lung. He didn't have to have any chemo or radiation - just followup scans every six months, until he was declared cancer free.

He chain smoked for over 50 years, and tried to quit many times. He DID quit smoking two days before his surgery, and hasn't smoked since - that was over two years ago, and physically he is fine for someone his age. Recovery from the surgery took about three months before he felt good again.

If it's very early, surgery may take care of it. BUT he has to do his part by quitting smoking if he wants to stay cancer free. I hope the surgery will convince him to quit.

Good luck to you...

Edit to add: Don't get scared by things you read on the internet and start dreaming up worst case scenarios. The absolute best thing you can do is go to your dad's doctor appointments with him and talk to the specialists. Ask them all the questions you can think of. Stay in the present moment!

This is difficult to determine since lung cancer can overtake some people in weeks while others may take months. Being that this is an early detection, it may not have spread anywhere else and doctors may be able to remove that they see.

Let's say they cannot remove it. Therefore, they now have to try chemo and there is no determining what that will get nor how long it will take.

My father passed away with lung cancer and it took him in roughly two weeks. He was a smoker most of his life. Some smokers never develop cancer others who are diagnosed with it can last months or a year. Therefore, it really is a tough disease to determine the length of time. All you can do is wait and guess based on the results of the tests and scans.

You dad has to have a bigger work up.
They will need to check his bones and liver for cancer, check his brain for cancer and see if the malignancy has gone anywhwere else.
If no metastesis, he stands a very good chance of living a lot longer (years) than if he has mets to the brain, liver or bone. If he has mets, he may not live for very long
At the age of 76, he stands a very good chance of dying from the treatment with chemotherapy and radiation. Lung cancer treatment is not easy. If he chooses chemotherapy, you need to ask the Oncologist some educated questions. Such as life expectancy with the treatment and without.
Dont let your emotions rule your response to your dads decisions, and dont let an Oncologist make the decision for your dad. After all the cancer doc is making money and is not emotionally attached to your dad like you are.
If he chooses not to treat, I would respect that decision and let him life out his life to the fullest. Make every day count.
In the meantime, they will want to do a lung biopsy and perhaps a bronchoscopy to see if the diagnosis is absolutely malignancy and not just some funky spot on his lung.
I am sorry for you and your dad. It will not do any good for him to stop smoking at this point in the game sadly to say.
Prayers are with you. I went thru the same thing with my dad when he was 76. He had kidney cancer and we opted not to treat and he lived for 4 yrs.

It's a pretty open question nowadays. Treatments are getting much better and controls with drugs more refined. Much more is understood and therefore surgery - when it can be carried out - is usually successful.

The important thing is for you and your family to put this in perspective and understand what is happening, what is likely to happen and what may happen.

I lost my father to lung cancer but he actually died from a secondary on the brain. That was a blessing in many ways as it was a better cleaner faster way for him to go.

Try not to get too distressed now. They may be able to remove or control the cancer. If not your father will almost certainly live a reasonable life for some while and you all need to be able to enjoy that. If he does get to a terminal stage he will need your help and support to get through. The only way to ensure you have the strength for that is to remain as calm as possible, learn and understand what you can from the medical staff and try and avoid crying and feeling too unhappy - that saps your strength and you won't hide it from your dad.

He needs you all to be strong for him now and maybe in the future.

It may help to know that my father always said he felt no pain only 'different feelings' and he passed away fairly peacefully.

Good luck.

It depends on how aggressive the cancer is and how good your doctor is. Maybe he could beat it if he quit smoking, got treatment and lived a healthy lifestyle, but then again maybe not. My father smoked for 30 years and quit. He began running 4 miles a day and exercised for years afterward and still got cancer. His cancer started out as a cough which the doctor failed to diagnose properly and by the time they found out the cancer had spread too far and within 2 years he was dead.

Only his doctor can give you an answer like that. It depends on what stage he's in and the growth rate. There are also a lot of good treatment facilities these days that can prolong his life considerably. Maybe surgery to remove one lung is in order but again, his doctor will have to advise him on that.

I wish him, you and your family my prayers and luck.

Chuck,
http://www.ebusinesswiz.com

3 to 5 years if it has spread, if he continues to smoke it could come back even if they cut it out. Lung Ca does not have a good prognosis I am sorry!

okay-i've been through this 4 times with 4 different members of my family. each one was different. there are a lot of variables involved with lung cancer. many different types too. first find out what type it is and do some research. answers from experts will give you more info than i can. in the mean time he really does need to change his lifestyle. not only is it better for him but it will also help him get through treatment. it helps the immune system. go with him to his doctors appt's. two heads are always better tha one. be patient and listen to him. he's probably scared too, even if he doesn't show it outwardly. don't blame him b/c of his habit or poor lifestyle choices. that will make things worse. he needs a positive attitude right now. help him achieve it. all the best to you and your dad. if you'd like to talk more, e-mail me.

God (unfortunate to us but fortunate for those who have this terrible disease) takes them rather quickly.They suffer dearly the only relief these patients have is the morphine they continuously get if they do survive it generally goes to their brains and they no longer know who they or anyone around them are. my mother found out in November and passed away in February,my mother in law found out in 6 months time she too was gone. my friends brother lived for 10 months after diagnosis there is no medicine that can prolong this type of cancer. I wish there was a answer it.s a very sad time sorry for your dads diagnoses may god be with your family for strength

Try Vitamin C therapy. A few years ago a cancer researcher came out with a paper saying that the best cancer and infection fighter as yet found was Interferon, but, at the time, it cost $15,000 a gram. The good part was that Interferon was a product of the natural breakdown of Vitamin C in your system. Shortly after that paper came out the FDA tried to make Vit C by prescription only. Guess why? The FDA says that the RDA for Vit C is 64 mg a day, just enough to prevent scurvy. Linus Pauling, who got a Nobel Prize for his work with Vit C and a second Nobel Prize for organic chemistry, said 1000 mg a day as a minimum and 2000 mg a day if you are sick. On a personal note, I was sick twice a year, for 2 weeks at a time, for 20 years, and was flat on my back for at least a week each time. To this day the doctors have no idea what the problem was. After I gave up on the doctors I tried Vit C. I took enough to keep from being sick and just below too much to get diarrhea. It followed a bell curve over 2 weeks with a peak at 40,000 mg a day 鈥?about 300,000 over the 2 weeks. I was not sick for those 2 weeks and after a couple of years of that I have not been sick since. I did not dissolve my kidneys, as some doctors said would happen. I did not get any calcium build up or stones and did not dissolve my cones or solidify my joints. Try it, but drink a lot of water 鈥?Vit C is a natural diuretic.

You should tell him that if he wants to live, he should quit smoking now - not tomorrow, not next week, definitely not next year - but TODAY. If you see him smoking, take that cigerette away from him so he can breath some fresh air for a change instead of that smoked up air.

I am so sorry to hear about your dad. Here is what I know.
It really depends on where the spot is and if it has spread. It could be a few months to a few years. If the spot is in a "non-vital" place, then with treatment he could last longer. His overall health has a lot to contribute too. You say he is not health concious so that will take some time away. Chemo and radiation take their toll on a person's body while shrinking the tumor. You will have a hard time ahead. I will be praying for you and your family that God will give you all strength to get through this. Meanwhile, get him to tell you his life story maybe on tape or written in his own hand. This will be precious in the future.

first i want to send you my condolences. my heart goes out to you and your family.

my father was once diagnosed with lung cancer, and they later decided that it was a rare lung disease called diffuse-pulmonary-ossification. he went to many different doctors and the general consensus was that he would not live more than a year. they changed their minds again and said that he would live up to 5 years. this was on my 10th birthday in 1996 and he is still alive at a great age of 63. he is active and currently receiving no treatment and not seemingly needing any. After 10 years has passed and he is still with us, we are so grateful. He is going strong and we expect him to be with us for a very long time.

Particularly since they have caught the cancer at such an early point in the process, his chances are so much greater. With great medical attention and the love of his family, it is likely that he will pull through. My prayers are with you and your family. I wish you all the best.

My father is going through the same thing at this very moment.
He was rushed to the hospital on friday afternoon because he could not breathe.

My father is 75 years old and he said he has been smoking since he was 10. He finally kicked the habit a couple months ago and ever since he quit he has been having breathing problems.

He has had cancer in the past but the doctors said it was gone and than 2 months ago we found out he has lung cancer and they told him it would be best if he stayed in the hospital and he was just too stubborn to stay.

They removed one of his lungs yesterday and his other one has spots all over it too. I have not heard any new information because of my half sister (who my mother and i do not get along with) will not allow the nurses to give us any information.

But to answer your question from my own experience i honestly dont know how long he has, im going through the same thing at this very moment. Your father could get better, although he could get worse. this has been really hard on me so i can just imagine how you feel. i would like my dad around for a couple more years too. I especially want him around in june for my high school graduation. but only time can tell. just pray for the best.