Lung Cancer

Question: How long does it take lung cancer to form? My 37 year old sister has two masses of incurable cancer on each lung. It is inoperable. I am just curious. How long did she have it. 1 year, 2 years? I just wonder how long she was walking around with cancer not even knowing it. Thank for any help. She is to young to die.

Answer: lung cancer has an 11% surival rate, so she most likely will die. Sorry

Question: How often does lung cancer spread to the brain? My grandmother is 80, diagnosed with small call luncg cancer. She will have a brain scan this week to determine is it has spread. How often does lung cancer spread tot he brain? How long does it generally take to spread?

Answer: Cancer can spread sometimes very quick. I have known numerous cancer patients with lung cancer that it had spread to the brain. There is really no right answer on how fast this can happen. Depends on the individual.

Question: How difficult is traveling with lung cancer and emphazema? My grandmother was diagnosed with the early stage of lung cancer and enphazema (shocker: she's a smoker). She is due to have surgery to remove part of one of her lobes next week. My question is, I am planning my wedding (I live in California and she lives in Texas) and need to know if she can travel by airplane? I'm afraid that the recirculated air will be bad for her health. If traveling is going to be a problem for her, I will gladly have my wedding in Texas. Any ideas?

Answer: My aunt had lung cancer and could not travel long distance. It just depends on how strong your grandmother is and if she feel up to it.

Question: If a person has lung cancer and lymph nodes are discovered there, can they be cured with radiation or chemo? My sister was operated on for lung cancer, the mass removed. Now doctors have discoverd lymph nodes at the top of her lungs and are suggesting radiation or chemo. What will be the results? Could she be cured?

Answer: Both. Can she be cured is the question. It depends on which TYPE of radiation is used. I wouldn't go for TRADITIONAL radiation. I would use DR. Gil Lederman in New York. http://RSNY.org is his webpage to see what he does, he specialises in this. I went to him for two months. He's fantastic. He will return your call immediately. 1-212-995-6700 ask for RSNY- Dr. Lederman. It is Cabrini Medical Center in Manhattan.2270East 19th Street. Don't be decieved that it looks like an old run down hospital because it's New York. Once you get inside and see the updated equipment, you will be very extremely impressed with this hospital. Also there is a special LUNG HOSPITAL if you google "lung cancer", you will find this. or 'lung cancer hospital'. They even do lung transplants now there. I spoke to a personal representative immediately on line, she recommended a lot of stuff to me, but her alternative thing was MD. ANDERSON cancer clinic in texas. THEN if that didn't work, return to them. So MD worked so far I suppose. My local doctors are working inconnection with MD Anderson, I go back and forth every three months since last July for comparison check ups. So far, at least all we've done this time is it has stopped growing, not illiminating it, but stopped growing, at least. Wow, almost a year, bummer. But this natural stuff, I FEEL it, I feel differently, I can't wait for the next scans! http://www.aworldwithoutcancer also is NATURAL way to go http://healingcanceral naturally.com but slower. Get her the treatments FIRST, then get started on these natural stuff ok? LYMPH NODES is serious, that means that it has spread to the blood stream and is in the REST OF THE BODY. She MUST have Chemotherapy to get those out IMMEDIATELY. Then the radiation probably is how they will do it. Best wishes. Get her started on this natural stuff soon as posssible too. My doctor doesn't care that I am on it. He says philophsy is -- " If you THINK it is working, it MAY help you get better", because it is POSITIVE thinking and he much much believes a cancer patient NEEDS positive thinking. But if a cancer patient doesn't think that a certain treatment he is on will work, there is a very good chance that it won't work. Because of the negative thinking too. What a weird reaction we can have on our own bodies huh? But it's true. My brother in law just died of bladder cancer, he didn't beleive his chemotheraphy or ANY treatments would work on him, he was TOTALLY negative during the year and a half of all his treatments, etc. I could see the difference. Sometimes things would excell to be really good, then he would say, "It's just a fluke", then it would go bad again. So keep her positive. DON'T LET PEOPLE SAY, 'I'm Sorry" to her. Because she already IS. Those words HURT to us. Instead say -- I have heard of your situation and HOPE THINGS WILL IMPROVE or something like that. In other words -- tell them to be positive to her when people visit, do not say negative things like -- I am sorry, that is negative and makes one cry or hurt in heart -- ok? They teach us that in therapy! again, best wishes. It's going to be a LONG hard time ahead. Especially for the care-giver. That person will need help too. so when people ASK -:what can I do? LET THEM HELP. Let them do a "chemo" day with her. LET THEM babysit half a day with her when the time comes, etc OK? It will help her spirits too, EVEN IF SHE SLEEPS through it. She will wake now and then! I spent my time in a huge easy chair in the den or on our couch and my friends and family just surrounded me during the day and literally baby sat me through it and still do. It is amazing how that lifts your spirit.

Question: What is the association between smoking and dying of lung cancer? For cigarette smokers the lung cancer mortality rate = 140 per 100000. For nonsmokers the lung cancer mortality rate = 10 per 100000. This is a question in my epidemiology class. And we have to interpret the results. Thanks! We have to calculate the association between smoking adn dying of lung cancer by using the numbers above. Then with that number we have to interpret the results. I'm not sure how to go about doing that.

Answer: People on this board sharing experiences and helpful hints between cancer sufferers and you are asking them to do your homework? Maybe reminding them even more of death by cancer? I guess maybe I'm overly touchy and having a not so good day, if I offended excuse me but, I am a little offended.

Question: What percentage of smokers get lung cancer? We always hear 90% of lung cancer is caused by smoking, but not how many smokers get lung cancer.

Answer: Some of the answers here are amazingly stupid. Approximately 8% of white male smokers in the United States will get lung cancer. White male non-smokers have a 1% chance of getting lung cancer.

Question: What is a natural way to help lung cancer? I am 19 years old and I have lung cancer the medications the doctors are giving me are making me sicker then I was before I started. Is there any natural way to ease the pain?

Answer: Obviously, you could ask your doctor about suitable pain relievers. She may suggest ibuprofen. Why not ask? From the side of natural products, taking some anti-inflammatory foods or herbs may help, as pain is sometimes related to inflammation. Direct anti-inflammatory supplements that come to mind would be fish oil, flax seed oil, luteolin (best one that I know is Lutimax™), and boswellic acid (5-Loxin® is my favorite). A food found helpful with lung cancer is the Select Vegetable product from Sun Farms. It contains several things, among which are mung beans, shiitake mushrooms, Oldenlandia, and Scutellaria barbata.

Question: How long does a lung cancer patient have to live without treatment? My grandmother was diagnosed with lung cancer, it has grown from the size of a grape to the size of a golf ball in a month. She won't do any chemo/radiation or surgery, because she wants the time she has left to be good, and the docs said she has a year left. BUT ... first, if it's grown that fast, how can she have a year? And every instance of lung cancer I've ever heard of has had the patients die much sooner ... like Peter Jennings was given six months and lived like two weeks, and another I read about was given a year and died less than three months later. How long does she have, realistically?

Answer: Your grandmother is wise to avoid chemo for lung cancer. It is truly ineffective. It's impossible to predict how long a particular person will live with their cancer. The stats only apply to averages, which consists of those who lived longer and those who lived less time. I cured my own Stage 4 cancer nine years ago with hot peppers, garlic and fish oil. If I had been losing weight, I would have used evening primrose oil in place of the fish oil. Maybe your grandmother would be interested in doing something like that...something that doesn't make a person sick while being treated. Good luck and be well. Kelley

Question: How can you tell if someone has lung cancer? How can you tell if someone has lung cancer? My boss lost a lot of weight I think he has lung cancer. He keep coughing and he looks very week . When he does cough it is in a very week way . I think he Hiding it from everyone. He keeps drinking whight gain shake. Just last year he was saying how he wants to lose weight Now he cant keep it on. I see him only every few week but he seems week over the phone . He does not look like he,s on chemo. I feel so bad for him.

Answer: Sometimes there is no way to tell. I have stage iv lung cancer and you would not know it by just looking at me. He may just have a respiratory illness. He may be hiding it if he is losing weight, but that isn't a tell tale sign, I put on 14 pounds while on chemo. There are also some chemo treatments that do not create hair loss so can't go by that either. The only way to know for sure is if he says anything, or you ask him... or wait.. time will tell.

Question: My grandfather died of lung cancer because of smoking, what is the probability of get me one cancer? My Grandfather was a regular smoker, he died some two year back because of lung cancer. I also smoke I want to know that if i havea hing probability to have cancer like that.

Answer: yup, with a family history of lung cancer, your risks are four times greater. Suggest you quit smoking, unless of course you don't care about dieing from lung cancer.

Question: What is the chance of a teenager getting lung cancer? I'm 17 and have smoked 2-3 cigaretts a day for about a year and decided to quit recently. I have read a sign of lung cancer is shortness of breath which I've been having the last 2 days. Is it because I'm craving nicotine that I feel like getting fresh air and having the need to take deep breath?

Answer: The chances are close to zero. When a young person gets lung cancer and by young, I mean under 40 years old, it is not due to smoking. 0.2% of all lung cancers occur between the ages of 20-34 and there is no data available for anyone under 20.

Question: What is the percentage of lung cancer patients that are smokers? I would like to know the ratio of smoker vs non smoker in people diagnosed with lung cancer. Please provide a link. I'm not looking for "caused by smoking" , those stats can be spun. I'm looking for smokers vs non smokers strictly. What percentage?

Answer: Here's a Canadian study you should find interesting. Male smokers - lifetime risk of lung cancer is 1 in 6 Female smokers – the risk of lung cancer is 1 in 9 Risk of lung cancer in non-smokers is 1 in 77 Can J Public Health. 1994 Nov-Dec;85(6):385-8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7895211 Another interesting site for you http://www.inforesearchlab.com/smokingdeaths.chtml

Question: How long does it take to get lung cancer from smoking cigarettes? I'm 16 and have been smoking cigarettes for over a year. I have smoked half a pack at the most in one day. My dad died of cancer but it wasnt from heredity. I'm paranoid im going to get lung cancer.HELP

Answer: no set time, may be you wont get but if i were you i would quite now that short of time wont give it to you

Question: How long do people wit lung cancer usually live? Do they live like years or just months? And how long can a person live with lung cancer? Also can it cause fainting? *I don't have lung cancer, nor do I know anyone who does.

Answer: I have stage iv non operable lung cancer. I was diagnosed in May of 2006, nearly three years ago now. Fewer than 5 out of every 100 people (less than 5%) diagnosed with stage 4 non small cell lung cancer will live for at least 5 years. My prognosis was perhaps only one year with palliative chemo treatments. Chemo treatments haven't ridden me of any tumors and they have grown some, but with lifestyle, and diet change along with a huge positive attitude, I am still surviving. I just don't know when it will all blow up in my face, but for now I'm living with it. I suppose fainting could be caused by lung cancer. Fainting could be brought on by a very harsh cough, or perhaps low blood counts due to chemo.

Question: How long does it take to get lung cancer? K so before I was born my mom smoked for about 40 years. Would that make my lungs weaker and make me more of a risk to get lung cancer?

Answer: The smoke that went into her lungs would not affect your lungs while you were still developing within her. Cigarettes do deprive the blood of oxygen and there are innumerable things that can result of that in a growing fetus. Second-hand smoke, though, (after you were born) can contribute to an increase of a chance in lung cancer, asthma, allergic reaction, etc. Also, secondhand smoke has been classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a known cause of cancer in humans (Group A carcinogen). And you may not believe it, but secondhand smoke causes almost 50,000 deaths in adult nonsmokers in the United States each year. I doubt that would make your lungs weaker, but as for being at an increased risk for cancer I would say definitely more than a child who was never around those who smoked.

Question: What questions should i ask a lung cancer specialist for an interview? I am writing a thesis about lung cancer and I am supposed to interview 2 oncologists. I am not really interested in my assigned topic and i'm quite contented with the information available in the net. What questions should i include in the interview?

Answer: 1. What is the newest treatment for lung cancers? 2. What you think about the lawsuits against Phillip Morris? 3, What can you do to prevent lung cancer 4. Approximately how many lung ca pts are you treating now? 5. Has the cure rate of lung cancer gone up in the last 20 yrs 6. What is the cure rate for lung cancer currently? 7. Do you believe cigarette smoking is related to lung cancer? 8. What made you decide to become an expert in lung cancer 9. Do you believe in God and do you believe faith has any impact on the cure rate of cancers? 10. What is the most important advice you can give someone who is caring for a lung cancer pt. 11. What are the signs and symptoms of lung cancer? 12. Do you reccomend hospice for your terminal pts and when do you know it is the time to offer it as an option. 13. Have you ever seen a lung cancer pt cured? 14. How much does it cost to recieve a round of chemotherapy?