Lymph nodes

[Enjoyabull]

Does anyone have a lymph node swelling in the neck and chest?

[scifiknitter Blogger]

Enjoyabull,

The main place my lung cancer has spread is to my lymphatic system. I have cancer in lymph nodes in my neck, chest, armpits, and a few in my abdomen. Right now the targeted medication I'm on is working well on the lymph nodes. I betcha, though, that my first sign that my med is no longer working well will be swollen lymph nodes. They are pretty common.

Anita

[Enjoyabull in reply to scifiknitter]

I dont understand the term targeted therapy. Do you have to have a special test or gene mutation to qualify?

[scifiknitter Blogger in reply to Enjoyabull]

Yes. I have an EGFR mutation so right now I can take one of the special drugs that target that mutation.

[Enjoyabull in reply to scifiknitter]

Mine are so swollen and I hope this doesn't mean my treatment isn't working...

[scifiknitter Blogger in reply to Enjoyabull]

I hope not, too! I've had lymph nodes swell then recede in the beginning of a new treatment, I think because the drug was attacking the cancer & causing inflammation. When is your next scan?

[Enjoyabull in reply to scifiknitter]

I have one more treatment then scans

[Denzie Moderator Volunteer in reply to Enjoyabull]

There are many things that can cause swelling so if you develop a fever don't let it go. Since they are causing you discomfort at this time please consider giving the on call dr a phone call.

[Enjoyabull in reply to scifiknitter]

Anita were the lymphs all swollen before the chemo started to work?

[scifiknitter Blogger in reply to Enjoyabull]

I had swollen lymph nodes before treatment. I've also had them swell while on treatment. On my current drug, some lymph nodes in my neck grew in the early weeks of treatment, then shrank.

Did you call your doctor to see if anything could be done to ease your discomfort?

[Hidden in reply to scifiknitter]

I am on pain meds and he gave me a low dose steroid that helps a little.

[Enjoyabull]

I have one more treatment then a scan. I am two weeks on, one week off with Carboplatin and Gemzar one week then the Gemzar alone the next week then skip a week.

[dflem94268]

When I was dx I had a lymph node in the left clavicle area I could feel then after two weeks on Tarceva targeted therapy it disappeared. I also had a few near my chest bone. None of the lymphs show up on my scans after 8 months on Tarceva. Were you tested for any mutation genes?

[Enjoyabull in reply to dflem94268]

Yes and no mutations

[dflem94268]

If I didn't have any gene my chemo would have been Alimta and Carbo wonder why they choose Gemzar.

[Enjoyabull in reply to dflem94268]

They tried carbo with Avastin and although everything shrunk while on Avastin everything started to grow again. Then I went on Opdivo and it spread after 4 treatments. So here I am back on carbo and Gemzar. I am so weak and tired but hoping that means that the cancer is being addressed! I have no appetite thank god for enlive.

[dflem94268]

Avastin isn't considered chemo, it's a tumor-starving therapy. Alimta is the chemo I was offered nothing mentioned to me about Avastin yet I have a friend that was EGFR gene like me but the targeted therapy's didn't work for her. She just started Alimta, Carbo chemo with Avastin last Monday. She goes to a local hospital I'm trying to get her to get to Penn for a second opinion to see if she's being offered the best options for her cancer. My cousin who is a year older then me goes to Penn also but went to Sloan in NY and flew to MD Anderson in TX to see what they would offer him as treatment for his cancer as a second opinion to Penn. He's got more money then me to do all that. Anyway MD Anderson said the kind of chemo Penn was offering they don't offer their patients due to the toxicity to other organs. So he took what MD offered back to Penn to his Onc and now his Onc is giving him what MD offered. I don't know the name of his chemos but was trying to find out for my friend. Everyone's cancer is different and respond to different treatments prayers yours is working. I was dx Jan 2016 Non Small Cell Lung cancer Adenocarcinoma Stage IV. In April 2016 I joined Lungevity there are a lot of survivors on there also with a lot of resources. I asked for some advice for my friend who is having the progression. Don is a six year survivor and suggested this also

Don Stranathan: Just questions, did they test for t790 before starting Tagrisso? Has there been genomic sequencing done by Foundation Medicine? Has she been tested for PD-L1 expression. Will keep her in my prayers.

[Enjoyabull in reply to dflem94268]

The Avastin was used alone for maintenance after the carboplatin Avastin treatment but the Tumors started to grow again. Then I had 4 rounds of Opdivo and I had such excruciating pain they did my scans early and discovered the cancer spread. I am back on Carboplatin because Dr. said it worked so well the first time. Then he is keeping me on Gemzar as I understand it?

[Terri324]

I've got several on the inside & outside of my thyroid (left side) with the thyroid shutting down (which my thyroid only shut down 36 years ago for about 2 months when I ended up delivering a very premature son = he was suppose to be a miscarriage), so yes, it's really surprised me to find out there are problems with my thyroid & lymph nodes in my pits are swollen also (the doctors just keep doing the ultrasounds & keeping an eye on them), so far they haven't decided if it is linked to my lungs........because I'm allergic to the dyes they use for some CATScans & such it makes it even hard for my lung specialist to use the word cancer......I go in Jan. for a low dose cancer scan- of which I'm mega scared & worried (of which I have mega doctor trust issues; and my lung specialist said he wants to stay with me as long as possible to gain a trust in some doctors like him before he turns me over to a team of doctors-which even makes worry more & be more scared whenever I see him, and yes I did tell him that & his response was he is only trying to make it easier for meeting & working with the next team of doctors....sorry for the long reply......

[Terri324 in reply to Terri324]

One other thing with being allergic to the dye & major other allergies, the lung specialist says another reason why he's not turning me over to another team of specialist is because he's afraid & worried that I will not be able to do/use any of the cancer treatments....has anyone else had this problem & if so any idea's on what to do?