Hello my mum has been diagnosed with non small cell lung cancer and as anyone can imaging it’s a big shock to the family ,it’s on her right lung 3 cm she has been offered radiotherapy I’m not sure the difference between chemotherapy and radiotherapy and will it shrink the tumour or take it away I’m really confused
Thankyou in advance x
Hi Elsy I’m relly sory about ur mums diegnosis. There’s lodes of treatments out there for lung cancer and some people on here have had it and it’s worked grate 🙂. I’m sure they’ll b along soon to tell u all about it and how it works. Stay strong and keep talkin on here, posetivity is relly importent xx
My sister was diagnosed 3 years ago. She had surgery and is doing OK at the moment. Thank God! It is not an immediate death sentence anymore. I wish you strength 💜
Hi Nina Thankyou so much for reply 🙏they says my mum can’t get surgery as she has COPD but giving her radiotherapy I’m praying the radio therapy shrinks the tumour or takes it away, I’m ill with worry , I’m so happy your sister is well 🙏xxx
Hi Jerry Thankyou for reply I’m hoping and praying so much that the radiation can shrink tumour or take it away 🙏I’m just so confused and scared she’s my best friend in the world praying everything’s going to be ok and she can live a normal happy life xx
Hi Elsy yeh I no wot you mean, mums r relly speshal ❤️ I’m sure the docs and everyone will do there absolute best by u both and like I sed there’s amasing treatments out there. Have hope ❤️
Hi Elsy,
I have/had a very similar non small cell lung tumour, roughly the same size but in my left lung.
Without getting too technical, although I can if you wish. Radiotherapy uses radiation to damage the DNA of the tumour preventing it from multiplying, growing. It will also shrink the tumour over time, as the cells of it die off, it cannot replace those dead cells with new ones so it starts to shrink. The shrinking does not happen strait away, it does take quite a while. I completed my treatment 3 years ago and it is still shrinking today.
The treatment is without any sensation at all, totally pain free. Not very common, there can be just a few side effects, such as a reddening of the skin like sunburn on the area of the treatment or maybe a little scarring of the lung around the tumour. The more common side effect can be fatigue, which will go away a short while after treatment has been completed.
My treatment was administered with 5 doses on alternate days with what is called SABR (Stereotactic Ablation Body Radiotherapy). Each session lasts just 20/30 mins, the bulk of that time being taken up with positioning your body, on the table, just right, lining up four little, targetting, tattoo dots for the machine. Those tattoos are permanent ones, just 3 mm in diameter and will look like a small mole, 2, top and bottom on the breastbone and one on each side of the chest. The actual radioactive zapping itself only takes a few minutes.
She will then be monitored, with regular CTscans and X-rays for 5 years, hopefully to be declared cancer free.
Chemotherapy does a similar job but involves using a chemical cocktail of what is essentially a poison to the tumour, administered intravenously. There can be a lot of side effects from Chemo.
From my point of view Radiotherapy has been like a miracle treatment. I was told a couple of years ago by my Oncologist that "I think we have cured you". Just a couple of years left to be told that I am being discharged from Oncology as cancer free.
If you want a more detailed, technical, information, then just ask.
Best wishes and good luck to your mother.
Hi 2greys Thankyou so so much for reply I’m actually crying reading your message that is amazing your cancer free 🙏and Thankyou so much for going into detail as I don’t no much about it and when i read on google ect it just makes me worse I’m a nervous wreck thinking I’m going to lose my mum she’s only just turned 60 still quite healthy so I’m praying so hard to god above that the radiation can make shrink the tumour , I wish I could give u a big hug u have made my morning Thankyou so much I love use all for replying 🙏xxx
Very few search results on Google are accurate or even 'up to date'.
There is also another forum on HealthUnlocked, the same platform that this forum uses, that is specifically for Lung Cancer. Click on the link below.
Awesome replie 2greys. It was actully you I was thinking of wen I first replied 😉😊
Hi and welcome. It must have been upsetting to you all when you got the diagnosis. Radiotherapy targets the tumour specifically whereas chemo is a systemic treatment. The Radiotherapy should shrink the tumour and may eradicate it completely. Your mum's specialist will have decided that this is the best course of treatment for her and will monitor her at intervals throughout her treatment. The good thing is that it has been found and that treatment is going to start. Best wishes to you all.
Hello CDP016 Thankyou so much for reply 🙏it means a lot everyone replying I’m praying the radiation can shrink the tumour I just didn’t understand it all but coming onto this website wow I’m amazed Thankyous all with the bottom of my heart xx
I wish mum all the best.perhaps it may be better steering yrself away frm Google, and sticking with the dr,consultant + HU forums like this with support.i like to think of a diagnosis as a positive = once the problem is discovered,u can begin treatment and pathway to coping with it xx
Hi and welcome Elsy12345. I can imagine the shock you are all feeling and how worried you must be but as others have said and 2 greys has explained his journey so far it can turn out fine. Let us know how your mum is getting on XAnita
Thankyou so much sending a big virtual hug to everyone I’m so happy I have got use guys to chat to means a lot 🙏xx
Hello, Had radio therapy Feb/March.. right lung tumour.. we are all different & therefor react differently.. my body didn’t like it much & I have many side effects.. go for pet scan end of this month & will know one way or the other..,good luck to your mum xx
Hi Elsy, sorry to learn of your mum’s cancer diagnosis, you must be very worried.
I will share my personal experience.
My father had SABR radiotherapy which is targeted therapy short sharp blasts only offered depending on the size of the tumour which I can’t recall, his longest session was for the special mould they made, I was with my dad throughout even when his session to line up the laser ensuring everything was ready to commence treatment the following week.......also my dad was very nervous, in my father’s case he had 6 treatments, seeing him ring the bell at the end..... how well he coped, he had only ever left the house for hospital appointments, it completely obliterated his tumour a scan revealed 12 months later, with annual follow up, he had no side effects whatsoever, given cream to apply to the area, which he applied after bathing.
He had lung cancer 6yrs previously in the opposite lung which was surgically removed, on both occasions chemotherapy was never discussed as a treatment, I’m sure the team of Oncology Specialists will support you as they did us, family can call the Nurse and ask questions.
Good luck to you all.
Sending my Best wishes to your mum. Holly xx
I too have been diagnosed with lung cancer they can't give me radio therapy because it is too close to a blood vessel going to the brain so they can't give me any treatment I feel so angry about this but I can't do anything about it I hope your mum will be ok best wishes
Hi Ian1charlie2ianiana I’m so so sorry you can’t get radiotherapy I wish I could give u a big hug , I’m sending u a virtual hug , have you heard of black seed oil u can buy from Amazon I’ve heard that is so good for your immune system and chest my mum has been using it. Wish I had a magic wand for everyone 🙏xxxxx
A magic wand would be great thank for the hug sending one back to you and your mum
Best wishes to you and your mum. I'm glad you've got some reassurance from the clever folk on this forum. Hope all goes well. xxx
I too have lung cancer in my right lung. I started treatment March last year just as the pandemic started! 😢 I had 20 sessions of radio therapy and 4 sessions of chemotherapy over 4months Along with chemo tablets in between which I was always too ill to take, chemo was awful I landed up in hospital every time I got chemo had sepsis 3x Then pneumonia Then a blood transfusion long stays in hospital. they also found large mass in my overies so had to have a hysterectomy straight after my cancer treatment was completed. My tumour was 6cm now down to 2cm but looks dead! I get scans every 3months now Nothing has started growing again so far🙏 The radiotherapy was painless but cause I had 20rounds there was quite a lot of what felt like a burnt throat as it was all central to my tubes..... Has been good few side effects, just had a bone scan and results show I now have osteoporosis and a fracture in my spine due to the radiotherapy Hitting my spine and shrank one of my spine bones also radiotherapy has burnt a broncial tube making it really thick and hard to breath through so I’m now on a steroid inhaler along with other meds...... even though it’s been like hell im still here and that’s thanks to the treatment as it seems to have got rid of it I’m left with scaring on my lung but looks dead! Time will tell. I hope your mum gets on fine With the radiotherapy ❤️🙏❤️
My Mum has Small Cell Lung Cancer
Small cell lung cancer patients with lupus and possible while brain radiotherapy 
Chemo for lung disease 
