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Suggest Treatment For Malignant Lung Cancer
Question: My father-in-law has a tumor in his lung. Biopsies have determined that the growth is malignant, but the doctors have not been able to determine which type of cancer he has. He also at one point had cancer cells in one kidney, but that was successfully removed. He had had the XXXXXXX dose of radiation and the doctors are saying there is no other treatment available. He lives in Ethiopia, and so I am not sure he is receiving good advice, either in their not being able to identify the type of cancer or offering no treatment. The cancer does not appear to be anywhere outside his lung.
Brief Answer:
Why not surgery
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Thanks for your query.
If the tumor is only in the lung, then it should be operated (unless he is too fragile for that). Has he had a whole body PET-CT scan? if so, then can you please share the report.
You said he had had the XXXXXXX dose of radiation. But for what? We do not give radiation for kidney cancer. Even if he received radiation for kidney cancer, we can again give RT to lung. So I am not sure why RT cannot be given again.
You can also take the biopsy slides or paraffin blocks out and get it reviewed at any reputed center to shed more light on it.
Hope this helps. I will be available for further followup.
Regards
Why not surgery
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Thanks for your query.
If the tumor is only in the lung, then it should be operated (unless he is too fragile for that). Has he had a whole body PET-CT scan? if so, then can you please share the report.
You said he had had the XXXXXXX dose of radiation. But for what? We do not give radiation for kidney cancer. Even if he received radiation for kidney cancer, we can again give RT to lung. So I am not sure why RT cannot be given again.
You can also take the biopsy slides or paraffin blocks out and get it reviewed at any reputed center to shed more light on it.
Hope this helps. I will be available for further followup.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
They did radiation only on the lung. I am not entirely sure if they did a PET or CT of the entire body, but he said they did. They say the downsides of the surgery outweigh the benefits, but he does not seem very fragile (he is 70 but generally active and maintaining a regular routine). They did discuss chemo but would be guessing as to which type he needs given that they can't tell from the biopsy what type of cancer or where it originated. Is it common to have biopsy results be indeterminate in this way?
Brief Answer:
biopsy results may not be fully conclusive
Detailed Answer:
In that scenario we have to decide what is best for the patient and give some chemo based on that. We can review the biopsy by some expert pathologist. But we can't say that we can't treat any more
We can also give oral tablets like erlotinib or gefitinib. If we think this is metastasis from kidney cancer then sunitinib or pazopanib tablets.
biopsy results may not be fully conclusive
Detailed Answer:
In that scenario we have to decide what is best for the patient and give some chemo based on that. We can review the biopsy by some expert pathologist. But we can't say that we can't treat any more
We can also give oral tablets like erlotinib or gefitinib. If we think this is metastasis from kidney cancer then sunitinib or pazopanib tablets.
Note: For further queries related to kidney problems Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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