r/lungcancer

hi all, I wasn’t the most active here, and when i posted i didn’t always reply because of constantly being overwhelmed but i felt the need to share that my dad is finally resting. i spent all of thursday at the hospital with him, he was mostly drifting in and out of sleep, we talked but not a lot, i felt a bad cold coming up so i didn’t want to make him sick as well by being too close.

I went home crying, so tired and feeling that maybe the end was coming for real this time. I woke up friday and my mom had texted that he hadn’t woken up from the night before, that he was breathing but that he most likely wouldn’t regain consciousness

the most surreal day ever, we got there, my siblings and i took turns to sit alone with him and said goodbye (i really hope that he heard what we told him), all of us sat there for a while, and after an hour or so we went to a table on a waiting room next to his bed to eat some breakfast and that is when he left.

this has been the craziest year and half of my life and i’m so happy i got to spend it all by his side. i will never regret this. even though hurts all over in ways i didn’t know i could hurt, i was lucky to get incredibly close to him in this time, he really became my best friend.

I wanted to give the deepest thanks to everyone on this sub, as i said, im not much good at interacting in online spaces but I have read almost every single thing posted here and thanks to that i was able to learn so much, so that i could be the best advocate for my dads health. thank you thank you for all of those that with pain in your hearts find the space to give advice, or share your experiences here. it made a huge difference for me.
i hope that in time, i can do the same for someone else

i’m so grateful to all of you internet people, and i feel so much for you, losing someone or having someone close get sick is really so tough, but it really has been lovely to find a space where i felt understood

wish you all the best in wherever you are in this process

Dear all,

I would be very grateful if you could share your experiences.

My dad (72) has stage IIIB NSCLC (T4N2M0). When he was first diagnosed in February, his tumor was 6.2×7.2 cm.

After chemotherapy and immunotherapy, he had a partial response, and the tumor has now shrunk to 4×2cm. His doctors now believe he may be a candidate for surgery, which we honestly didn’t expect at the beginning. His lung function is very limited, and removing the entire right lung is not an option. The surgeons will decide during the operation whether they can remove only one lobe or whether two of the three lung lobes will need to be removed (the tumor is in his right lung).

They say the chances of a successful resection is 80%, with a 20% chance that once they open him up, they may find that a radical surgery isn’t possible and then they will have to move to a non-surgical treatment plan instead.

Does anyone here have any similar experience? Were you able to have surgery after chemo/immunotherapy for stage III NSCLC?

I guess the response my dad had is a good one, right? His lymph nodes are still the same though, no changes there. We were told the nodes’ condition is what’s crucial for the surgery.

We have a consultation with the multidisciplinary team scheduled for July 9 to discuss next treatment steps.

My mom 59 was diagnosed with cancer stage 4 nsclc lung adenocarcinoma at the end of December right around new year. It was a random scan that led to the diagnosis. She had back pain near the shoulderblade on the left side which did not go away after pain meds and physiotherapy. Just to check we had done a MRI of the back muscles and they apparently mistakenly did an MRI of lung. Which showed certain nodules and had to be biopsied. The first biopsy showed no actionable result and had to be revised with VATS. After which it was concluded that it is NSCLC Adenocarcinoma with no actionable mutations and with pdl 1 of 12%. No distant metastasis. Till then my mom had no symptoms whatsoever. She is not a smoker and keeps herself really fit and healthy. No junk foods too. Her labs used to show a vit B12 level more than 1500 and she got it checked with cancer specialists, they couldn't find a reason at all. Now thinking back... Lung cancer would have been the reason why her B12 was so high. She started chemo + keytruda. Carboplatin+ pemetrexed+ pembrolizumab ---> was given for 4 cycles then in pet ct it showed only one avid lesion on the left lung near the apex, but it too had shrunken by around 30%. So on that note after the 4th cycle she was only on pemetrexed and pembrolizumab. After the 8th it showed no reduction and it remained stable. Which made us worry as to whether it will respond or not. Now she has been told to continue on pemetrexed pembrolizumab and Bevacizumab (newly started) for another 4cycles. My questions are as follows

1. does Bevacizumab work ?

2. are we going in the right direction?

3. because of the spread of the lesions she is not a candidate for radiotherapy or so has the treating oncologist said ... Should we get a second opinion... If so then should we get it during this cycle or after it's finished?

4. I am seeing so much of people online on Instagram and certain forums stating that febendazole and ivermectin helps and it makes them cancer free. Has anyone done it and come out the other side ?

Due to work reasons im not with my mother back in india and am in Europe. So I am not able to personally go around in india and ask for second opinions and testimonials regarding the treatment. That's why I am asking the good people of reddit. People in this subreddit have helped me a lot with going through my emotions and feelings. You guys deserve a heart felt thank you.

Any and all inputs are welcome and appreciated. Thank you

My mum is currently going through treatment for stage 3 lung cancer at the Royal Marsden. 30 rounds of radiotherapy and 3 rounds of chemo. She’s honestly been an absolute legend through it all.
The plan is for her to go onto durvalumab afterwards, assuming all goes well. She does have N3 lymph node involvement, which we understand makes things more complicated and puts her in a higher-risk group.
I know everyone’s situation is different, and I’m not looking for medical advice, just some hope, really. Has anyone here, or anyone’s loved one, had N3 involvement and gone on to have clear or stable scans a year or so later after chemoradiotherapy/durvalumab?
Would really love to hear any positive stories from people further down the road.

My 75-year-old father was diagnosed with Stage IV lung adenocarcinoma (non-small cell lung cancer). The primary tumor is in his left lung, and a biopsy confirmed 2 metastasis to his left rib. The lymph nodes that were biopsied were negative. His oncologist is recommending 4 rounds of Carboplatin/Pemetrexed chemotherapy and 35 radiation treatments to the lung and rib with the goal of remission. Molecular testing and PD-L1 results are still pending. Has anyone had a similar diagnosis or treatment plan? I’d appreciate hearing your experiences and outcomes. To note my father is in great health and very active no major health complications asides from high blood pressure that he controls with medication. Also he had a triple bypass in 2021 at the age of 70 and recovered beautifully.

(please ignore grammar errors,my first language isnt english). I got bloodtests done a few weeks ago,since it felt like i couldnt catch a full breath of air and my cough started getting more severe.They now came back and it turns out i might have lung cancer.They will do a biopsy tomorow and I will know for sure.My question really is,im planning to go on a trip from 8th of July to 15th.Can I?Or will they started treatments as soon as possible?Google says that it takes weeks until they start treatment because they have to look for certain things to give the right medication,Im not willing to put my trust in ai,so if anyone had lung cancer or any type of cancer,do the treatments usally start rightaway?Or can i still enjoy my trip?

Hi my grandmother who is a non smoker was just diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer non small cell , adenocarsinoma subtype

Can you tell me outcomes or advice and expectations

They are doing a biopsy in a few days to look for genetic mutation marker which we’re hoping for bc her prognosis will be better and she’ll start immunotherapy

Thank you so much

Edit: I wanted to add she had a plural effusion

Hi everyone,

My mom (52) was recently diagnosed with Stage 2 lung cancer (adenocarcinoma non-small cell) and and just started treatment. I’m quickly realizing that the sheer volume of appointments is going to be incredibly difficult to organize and manage efficiently. Located in Rockford, Illinois.

I am 29, work a full-time job, fund my life independently, and am essentially the only immediate family member around to assist her.

To make matters tougher, my mom lives alone and was in poor health even before this diagnosis. Her background includes:

• Heavy smoker, multiple collapsed lung episodes
• Chronic lung-related infections and very low weight.
• A history of narcotics abuse.
• Severe mental health struggles (borderline personality disorder, severe anxiety, and depression—her nervous system is completely shot).

She is already deteriorating and highly anxious before the chemo has even fully hit her. I am incredibly worried that she will very soon be unable to get herself back and forth to appointments or manage basic daily tasks at home (cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping).

Because I work full-time, I cannot be there 24/7. I am seeking out free, low-cost, or highly accessible resources, tools, and caregiving assistance that I can contact or request on her behalf.

Specifically, I would love advice on:

1. Transportation: Are there reliable, free, or subsidized programs that handle rides to oncology appointments? In previous times, I went through her health insurance for Free Medical rides but the service was awful and unreliable, she got to many appts late.
2. In-Home Support & Meals: Programs that offer light housekeeping, wellness checks, or meal deliveries for cancer patients?
3. Organization Tools: What are the best apps, spreadsheets, or methods you used to keep a massive calendar of appointments and symptoms organized between a patient and a caregiver?
4. Navigating Complex History: Any advice on navigating her oncology care given her history of substance abuse and severe mental health struggles?

I want to support her as best as I can without completely drowning myself. Any advice, organization tips, or specific organizations to reach out to would mean the world to me. Thank you all so much.

BACKGROUND:
I'm 67 years old, and had a left upper lobe lobectomy a month ago for stage 1 lung cancer. Fortunately the invasive component was only 1.5 cm, and the pathology for the entire remainer of the lobe was clear. Consequently, even though I had the EFGR+ mutation, adjuvant therapy was not indicated.

Prior the lobectomy I was in very good shape (15.5 mets on the accelerated Bruce protocol, which puts me at >90%ile for men aged 20-29). My main aerobic sports are downhill skiing (I'm an expert and like moguls, which are aerobically demanding) and trail running. I've just returned to running, but only for short (~5 min.) intervals interspersed within my walks.

QUESTIONS:
Among those of you of similar fitness who've undergone this, how long did it take before you got to maximum recovery (i.e., before your recovery plateaued)?

Once you got there, how much of your top-end fitness did you feel you lost, both quantitatively and practically?

And was there a change in how you felt when working out intensely? Specifically, even if you lost some top-end performance, were you still able to push yourself hard without anything more than the usual discomfort, or were you no longer able to do that without feeling "off" (e.g., unusual shortness of breath/dizzyness/etc)?

Separately: Did you have any breathing issues within the first month and, if so, how long did they take to resolve? I have a persistent cough and a continuous feeling of restriction in my throat, which my pulmonologist says is unusual. He just ordered me a nebulizer, and expects this should resolve in a couple of weeks.

Hello everyone, I am healthy 40m who had segmentoectomy 1 month ago.

Had a fever for 2 weeks and still coughing (which is usual for me after pneumonia).

I have a pulling sensation in the place where part of my lung was removed, some times a bit painful if I overdo it. I am worried if due to my activities I am not letting something to heal up.

When did you guys return to sports or activities like running/swimming? When did you start to feel normal you?

PS how i hate sleeping on my back…

so , I’ve been with stage 4 Thymoma that’s metastatic to my plural space and diaphragm for just about 5 years only did about 10 rounds over the years and have had a good life. last year I presented with a large plural effusion, eventually with a plurex catheter . once that was removed the cancer flared up and to make a long story short things haven’t been the same.

I recently flew to Texas to see what they could offer me as far as treatment or surgery, because palliative chemo is about all there is available here. Texas says they believe they could get me to NED and possibly full remission with an Epp ( extra plural pnuemectomy) it’s basically the entire lung removal plus the lining and some other here and there’s. They set me up to have the surgery very soon but I am terrified what life would be like afterwards, I’m 44 with 3 adult children 1 teenager. I live pretty normal but I do have breathing issues . can anyone who’s had this or a lung removal share how life really is and or your opinion on moving forward with surgery??? Thank you

Hi guys,

My 34 year old brother was diagnosed with stage 4 NSCLC (lung cancer) metastasized to bones last June (2025). Tomorrow is his 4th PET-SCAN after we switched to nivolumab immunotherapy (negative PDL-1) plus chemotherapy (docetaxel). Before this, he was given 6 cycles of cisplatin+ pemetrexed which was stopped after deranged creatinine (which was declared chronic after 3 months and no drugs were given between October and march). He has been responding well to the new line of drugs as he went from 2-3 painkillers a day to zero and also went from 4.1 creatinine to 1.35. The only bothering side-effects is that he is not eating well so the weight is falling rapidly. He is extremely depressed and is not talking and sharing anything with anyone. He is very quiet and is also not taking any supplements that the doctors have suggested. I know it's very difficult to be in his place. Please give me hopes, if any. Please do not comment on any negativity as I do not have the ability to process and digest it. I will be updating the progress and details about the treatment here in the thread. Kindly suggest ways to give him hopes and rekindle the zest to live and beat the shit out of this fucking cancer.

Hope for the best. ❤️

My 83 year old grandma just got diagnosed a week ago with extensive small cell lung cancer with Mets to the liver, lymph nodes, adrenal gland, and brain. She was a 66 year smoker so this is the inevitable but still so hard nonetheless. She started her first round of carboplatin and etoposide. She felt better then today (2 days after the last dose) she seems to be miserable. I’m just wondering how much time I realistically have left with her? The chemo seems to be more palliative. I just don’t want to lose her and this all happened so fast

A year ago I was diagnosed with Stage IV EGFR exon 19 lung adenocarcinoma with metastases to my pleura, liver, bones, and brain. It was an overwhelming time, and to be honest, it's all still a bit overwhelming to take in.

I've been on Tagrisso plus chemotherapy (FLAURA2 regimen), and this week I had my first follow-up PET scan since diagnosis.

The radiology report described a near-complete response, and after reviewing everything, my oncologist documented a complete response, attributing the remaining pleural uptake to my prior talc pleurodesis rather than active cancer. His assessment was: remission with no active disease or new lesions, and he told me this was the best outcome we could have hoped for.

I'm continuing treatment, and I know there's still a long road ahead, but today I'm feeling incredibly grateful.

I also wanted to say thank you to everyone in this community. When I was first diagnosed, reading your stories and receiving your support helped me through some very difficult days. I hope sharing this update gives someone who is newly diagnosed or in the middle of treatment a little hope that good outcomes are possible.

Should I continue taking Sotorasib (Lumykras) while receiving 10 sessions of thoracic radiotherapy, or should I stop it during treatment?

Sotorasib kept the cancer under control for about 4 months (confirmed by CT scans), but the disease has now progressed. I'm having radiotherapy as a bridge treatment while waiting for the results of a new NGS test, which should be available in about two weeks.

I'm mainly concerned about whether continuing Sotorasib during radiotherapy is beneficial or if it could increase toxicity without providing much benefit.

Has anyone been in a similar situation, or have any oncologists here managed patients like this?

I just want to share my experience and see if anybody on here can relate. Im not sure where to start but from the years 2021-2024 i lost multiple jobs and I had over fifteen E.R visits and was diagnosed with everything from pneumonia to bronchitis and was told i had a collapsed lung. The day after halloween 2024 I went back to the E.R and was even told I had sepsis and was literally told I would die if I left the hospital. I had a gut feeling something wasnt right so I had a second opinion the next morning at a new hospital and was told within an hour that I had a tumor blocking my middle and upper lobes of my right lung. I also found out the first hospital had a red flag on my account. November 22nd I had a bi-lobectomy and 2 lobes of my lung were removed. I was 34 years old when I had my surgery. The only medication I was prescribed was gabepentin and it did absolutely nothing so the healing process wasn't easy. Its been well over a year now and im doing great!

Getting ready for Chemo shortly. I know what drugs I will be getting. The infusion will be Carboplatian/pemetrexed/pembrolizumbab. I'm asking if anyone can give me some info on side-effects and how long they last after infusion.

TIA

This is kindof an involved and long story. I appreciate all who take the time to read and comment. My mother is 53 years young and was diagnosed with metastatic adenocarcinoma with Mets to Spine (extensive with multiple compression fractures), Ribs (multiple pathological fractures), scapula, skull (broken through dura lining), brain (several spots causing bleeding and edema), adrenal glands, lymph nodes (extensive), and hips/femur, and two tumors over golf ball sized in her right lung.

Initially she went to the hospital 3-5 times for pneumonia. Lung node was not caught until the last visit and by then the cancer had metastasized everywhere. April 28th I moved her down to my state to seek treatment where I can care for her. The disease progressed quickly and with chemo and radiation they estimated a year. We are less than 8 weeks away and she is actively declining/dying.

She had one round of chemo and went downhill very quickly. Was in the hospital more than out and finally started in patient radiation. After 5 treatments to the brain lesions she entered an altered state of mind and has been downhill since.

She is now home on hospice and we are struggling to control pain with Ativan every hour, morphine every 6 hours with breakthrough dose every two hours, flexeril every 8 hours. She is loosing her swallow reflex and even with crushing the meds I struggle to get her to swallow without choking. One episode this afternoon had me convinced she would be taking her last breaths today.

If anyone has been through these hard times, what can I expect for the next few hours/days? I feel terrible that she is so uncomfortable and wish I could take her pain away. Thanks for reading.

Hi everyone,

I am sharing the official English translation of a recent F-18 FDG PET-CT scan (dated June 23, 2026). The clinical indication was initially listed as "Carcinoma of Unknown Primary" (CUP), but the PET-CT has now identified a primary lung lesion along with nodal and distant bone involvement.

Here is the translation of the findings:

**Protocol & Clinical Info:**
Fasting Blood Glucose: 130 mg/dL. Whole-body images from vertex to mid-thigh were acquired 1 hour after IV administration of 11.4 mCi F-18 FDG. Evaluation performed alongside co-registered CT slices.
Clinical Info: Carcinoma of Unknown Primary (CUP), Diagnosis and Staging.

**FINDINGS:**
- HEAD AND NECK: Normal appearance, physiological metabolic activity. No pathologically active or enlarged lymph nodes.
- THORAX: Pathological FDG uptake is observed in an irregularly bordered nodular lesion measuring 1.3 x 0.9 cm in the apicoposterior segment of the left lung upper lobe (SUVmax: 5.9). Pathological FDG uptake is observed in a 1.4 cm short-axis aortopulmonary window lymph node (SUVmax: 6.9). Mediastinal main vascular structures and pleura are normal.
- ABDOMEN AND PELVIS: Diffuse increased FDG uptake in the gastric mucosa (consistent with gastritis). Mild hypodense liver parenchyma secondary to fatty infiltration. Cortical cyst in the left kidney. Spleen, adrenal glands, and pancreas are normal in size and activity. No free or loculated fluid.
- MUSCULOSKELETAL: Pathological FDG uptake is observed in a lytic lesion in the sacrum (SUVmax: 17.5). Degenerative changes in the vertebral column. Other bone structures and soft tissues are within physiological limits.

**CONCLUSION:**

1. Hypermetabolic nodular lesion in the apicoposterior segment of the left lung upper lobe (lung ca).
2. Aortopulmonary hypermetabolic metastatic lymph node.
3. Hypermetabolic metastatic lytic lesion in the sacrum.

***

We are currently waiting for our first official appointment with a Medical Oncologist.

What should we expect next?

Realistically, how aggressive is this presentation (Lung primary with a solitary sacral metastasis)?

Can a lung lesion of this size (1.3 x 0.9 cm) typically be removed surgically when there is already known distant bone metastasis, or does treatment shift entirely to systemic therapy (chemo, immunotherapy, targeted therapy)?

How are lytic sacral metastases usually treated or stabilized? Can bone lesions of this type achieve complete metabolic remission or "heal" with systemic and localized treatments (like radiation or bone-protecting agents)?

Any guidance on what crucial questions we should ask the oncologist during our first visit would be immensely appreciated. Thank you so much.

Also, were you/they on any medications to reduce symptoms?