Talk Cancer

Question:

This questions involves a male, 64 years, who had a mass show up on a routine xray.  The doctor was 95% positive it was malignant.  This was followed with an MRI, PET Scan and Cat Scan.  None of the three showed anything in other areas of the body.  The tumor was very close to the aorta or possibly touching.  Surgery was recommended by Moffit Cancer Center and was performed ll-5-01.  The outcome of the surgery was that the tumor had attached to the aorta and adjacent lymph nodes.  Nothing was done other then stitching the incision and saying they could try some radiation and chemo.  When asked what the prognosis would be with treatment, the answer was "poor".  This person is in very good health otherwise and has never had any serious or debilitating illnesses. Blood pressure is normal, weight, etc.  The question is:  Does anyone know if it is possible to remove this tumor and repair the aorta where it is attached.  I think if the doctors had known what they were to find when they operated, possibly there would have been a thoracic surgeon present as well as the pulmonary one and this maybe could have been done during the operation.  I am still praying that this is possible and that someone, somewhere has seen this done or knows that it can be done and can give me information as to who to contact.  So please if  you can suggest anything, respond as soon as possible. Thank you.  P.S  This is malignant and the doctor said  it was Stage 3b.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This questions involves a male, 64 years, who had a mass show up on a routine xray.  The doctor was 95% positive it was malignant.  This was followed with an MRI, PET Scan and Cat Scan.  None of the three showed anything in other areas of the body.  The tumor was very close to the aorta or possibly touching.  Surgery was recommended by Moffit Cancer Center and was performed ll-5-01.  The outcome of the surgery was that the tumor had attached to the aorta and adjacent lymph nodes.  Nothing was done other then stitching the incision and saying they could try some radiation and chemo.  When asked what the prognosis would be with treatment, the answer was "poor".  This person is in very good health otherwise and has never had any serious or debilitating illnesses. Blood pressure is normal, weight, etc.  The question is:  Does anyone know if it is possible to remove this tumor and repair the aorta where it is attached.  I think if the doctors had known what they were to find when they operated, possibly there would have been a thoracic surgeon present as well as the pulmonary one and this maybe could have been done during the operation.  I am still praying that this is possible and that someone, somewhere has seen this done or knows that it can be done and can give me information as to who to contact.  So please if  you can suggest anything, respond as soon as possible. Thank you.  P.S  This is malignant and the doctor said  it was Stage 3b.

I doubt that the surgeons refused to go ahead with the resection unless they thought it was impossible to do without very grave risk. The "standard" management for stage III non-small cell lung cancer is combined radiation plus chemotherapy.

Response: