Wagga Rehab Meeting with Dr Jane Hill (my notes)

Current Status

Lesion in the lung

Enlargement of the adrenal gland and lymph node

Tumour in the bones of several ribs

Exhibiting a classic example of lung cancer that is now metastatic (spreading)

Shortness of breath after physical exertion

Wound from vertebrae operation still weeping and very slow to heal

Walking pretty well but knees give way occasional

Pain on the side of rib cage could be a pinched-nerve or bone cancer in a rib.  A further CT will be used to diagnose.  If it proves to be a tumour on a rib causing the pain radiotherapy could be used to relieve that in those specific areas.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a hole-of-body treatment.  The chemo drugs are give once every three weeks and it takes most of the day to take the treatment, spending the time in the cancer centre outpatients area.  Usually four to six cycles of the three-week treatment, overall three to five months.

30% of cases respond to chemotherapy. After two months check to see if the tumour has reduced in size by using the CT scan.  After 4~6 months the chemo, if it is working, will have done all it can.  If the cancer has shrunk and stays stable it has done all it can.  Sometimes the treatment needs to be stopped because of the side affects.  It is uncommon to get rid of all the cancerous cells.

In between each treatment life goes on pretty much as normal.

One of the side affects is loss of hair, but it will grow back.  It makes you tired and nauseous but there are good drugs to combat this. The drugs also cause some aches and muscle pain for three or four days after treatments, upping pain kills could be helpful at these times.  The drugs can cause tingling in the fingers and toes having an affect on the nerves and this can be a reason to stop treatment as it can take time for the nervous system to recover.

Continuing with the current pain relief medications currently being administered would be recommended.

The biggest risk with chemo treatment is that it lowers you immune system and makes you susceptible to infection for a week or two after each treatment.  As a precaution you must constantly check your body temperature each day.  If at anytime you are feeling particularly lousy you should check your temperature.  Any rise in body temperature must be treated as serious and you must go to hospital immediately.