Reply #7: RV: congratulations to your dad. Mine just learned a month ago

[wiggs]

that he has lung cancer, and just started chemo last week. He's 71. I'm going up again to see him tomorrow and help sort out some of his feelings. He's quite despondant, ready to pack it in rather than continue treatments. This is not like him and we are thinking that his steriod treatments (for keeping swelling down around brain lesions), radiotherapy, and lack of significant progress (even though early) are contributing to his negative outlook.

Did your Dad ever desire to stop treatments? If so, how did he get past it?

I'm for letting people make their own decisions late in life -- they deserve that respect -- but his thinking right now is impaired and I'm going to be asking him to give it a couple more weeks, when things might look a bit better.

Again, good job to your Dad -- usual prognosis for lung cancer (small cell carcinoma) is 6-24 months.

Thanks