Help post surgery more treatment

[Lovey1000]

I just had a double lobectamy right side upper right and middle lobe gone, Dr removed a bunch of lymph nodes and now I found out 6 or 7 nodes are positive cancer but they are out of me but...my dr says I have everything out I'm cancer free but...I need radiation and 3 more rounds of chemo to clean up what could possibly left if anything, I shouldn't chance it I guess....what does this mean...dr says I'm cancer free..why clean up radiation and chemo?////help

[JeanE41]

Sometimes cancer cells escape during surgery, so before they can take hold in another place, they like to give a short series of treatment with chemo and radiation to prevent any escaped cancer cells from causing new tumors. The intent is to prevent a recurrence.

I hope this helps.

Jean

[Debby1125 in reply to JeanE41]

Yep that's what i was trying to say. You just say it perfectly! Thanks Jean

[Lovey1000 in reply to JeanE41]

I'm confused, so after the chemo and radiation then I'm cured????

[JeanE41 in reply to Lovey1000]

That is the hope, but only time and periodic scans can tell if there is any evidence of another tumor. By having the additional chemo and radiation you are increasing your probability of continuing to have no evidence of disease.

[Debby1125]

Just in case there is something tiny starting that they cant catch yet. I think several people i know have had to. Did you have chemo and/or radiation prior to surgery? BTW i also had right upper and middle lobes removed.

[Lovey1000 in reply to Debby1125]

Yes only 3 rounds of cistapain and premea cocktail then surgery now I'm told I'm cancer free but need a little more treatment just in case there's more cells invilved

[Debby1125 in reply to Lovey1000]

Good idea to get all rascals that might have escaped.

[Lovey1000 in reply to Debby1125]

Are you cured? And what did u do after surgery? Was lymph nodes involved??

[Debby1125]

I won't say "cured" but there has been no evidence of disease in 15 months. I get scanned every 6 months.

[anrean in reply to Debby1125]

Debby, it is always wonderful to hear that there is no evidence of disease!!

[JeanE41 in reply to Debby1125]

Love those words, "no evidence of disease".

[Steph60]

I was diagnosed at stage 1B and it was recommended that I do chemo since the cancer was located on the plural (lining of my lung). I did a lot on- line searching as to what I should do. I found one post in which some who was also stage 1B asked their oncologist if they should have chemo or not and the dr responded to them - if the choose not to have chemo they will never be a 1B again they will be stage 4. So I asked my oncologist- he said the same thing, needless to say I did chemo. If it ever came back I never wanted to look back and say “ if I had done chemo would it not have returned”. So for it has been 4 years and still cancer free, if it does return I know that I did everything I could to prevent it.

[Feelingblessed2013]

I lost upper left lobe, all nodes tested were neg. Doctor said I was cancer free, in the 60 percentile (60% chance no recurrence within 5 years). I went to Roswell for another opinion, I opted to do chemo just to try to kill any cancer cells that may be lurking somewhere (unfortunately due to other issues I was only able to complete half of the treatments).

[Ruthie1950]

Looks like you’ve gotten some great advice on near. Best of luck and hopefully you will rest assured you’re cancer free.

[anrean]

Lovey, what your oncologist is doing is standard protocol to be certain that you are CURED! I did not have lung surgery, but with both breast cancers they did surgery and then the same. It is so wonderful to hear that they are doing this and talking about CURE!! The chemo and radiation will make certain that you have the best possible outcome. I know and fully understand why you wouldn't want chemo, but please listen to your oncologist and do the best you can to protect yourself from any recurrence!

Have a wonderful Holiday and God Bless

Lauri-Anne

[Lovey1000 in reply to anrean]

I had no idea I had 4 affected lymph nodes until after she removed the mass and the lymphnodes then the pathology report said I was 3A but one side of her says I'm cancer free and the says u need adjvatherapy to make sure no live cells left.... all I think about is I have less then 5 years on this planet and nightmares too

[anrean in reply to Lovey1000]

Oh, Lovey, please do not think that way! I know that feeling all to well, and also know that it isn't as true now as it was even a year ago! Yes, having lymph nodes involved isn't the greatest news, but look at all the changes that are happening so fast!! When I had the liver ca my doc told me not to read anything older than 6 months because by the time it gets through peer review and is published it is usually 1-2 years old and things are changing so much faster now! He was right - the outlook then (2002) was so much gloom and doom and gave me about 1-3 years to live...Look at me now!! I did a lot of research and asked a lot of questions, but also followed his advice and did not focus at all on the yucky stuff - I wanted to know what I could do to make things better. It wasn't a stroll in the park, but I did everything possible to extend my life span and still maintain a good quality of life. I cannot promise that everything will be okay, but it sounds like your oncologist is giving you GREAT news...hold on to what your oncologist says, not what the literature says!!

God Bless you

Lauri-Anne

[JeanE41 in reply to Lovey1000]

As Laurie-Anne said, there are new treatments being discovered all the time. There are so many more options for treatment available now that were not when I had my surgery in 2015. For me, the best way to deal with cancer is one step at a time. It sounds as though your oncologist is being very thorough and offering you the best treatment available for your situation. All you can do is make the best decision you can for yourself based on the information you have.

I wish you the best in this journey and it is a journey with lots of steps and decisions.

Jean

[Lovey1000]

Thanks, my surgeon said I'm cancer free that should put me at ease but instead I'm seriously depressed, I guess saying she took out lymph nodes (4) of them that were involved shook my core, but the flip side is there out of me and I'm clear so now adjuvant therapy...6 weeks radiation and 3 rounds of chemo!!! I think time will take me out of this funk I'm in....thanks everyone for your support as well

[anrean in reply to Lovey1000]

Lovey, many of us have felt that depression and sought out an anti-depressant medication for a short time. Perhaps it can be something you call your oncologist about. You do not need to suffer, and you certainly do not need to suffer alone! We are all here to support you as much as possible!

Hold to the good news, but also remember that our minds are just as important as our bodies!

God Bless,

Lauri-Anne

[Lovey1000]

My surgeon said I'm cancer free, she told me adjuvant therapy is like making sure nothing left... the bigger picture is they removed a 5cm mass along with 4 involved lymph nodes, everything gone so I will be whistling dixie and complete the chemo and radiation, they caught it early, no metastasis at all except 4 tiny nodes that are no longer in my body...thanks for your support...I truly need it

[scottlg]

I don’t always understand everything the drs say either.....sometimes I’ll have my son talk to the dr...for a reality check....best wishes lovey

[gibdonnalee Community Superhero]

I always bring my husband or son with me to oncologist visits. They may catch something I missed or understand something better. It is very hard to try to be "up" when they say, cancer free, in the back of our minds is always that doubt. Just know that you and your doctor are doing all you possibly can to extend your life.

I am a little at odds with that statement right now. Since I was in hospital 3weeks with emergency colon surgery and had to delay cancer treatment, i worry that it's been so long since my last Sandostatin shot and what's going on inside me. But worrying won't help me, I know, just prayers and trying not to dwell on it. Hopefully the new year will be better for all of us.

[JRuthI1946]

I am certainly not an expert, but I believe that they are trying to ensure that all cancer cells are destroyed.