Stage 4 metastatic lung cancer

[itiswhatitisxx]

Hi all. A family member had breast cancer 5 years ago, had a lumpectomy chemo & radiotherapy. They have now found cancer in her lymph nodes which have spread/ metastasised into her lung. A few mass’s have been found. She has been told it’s incurable and the next steps are chemotherapy and the test for if she’s able to have immunotherapy. She has had no symptoms and it’s a real shock. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this and how it went etc? Or any advice in general please. Thank you x

I’m so sorry for your family member and for you.
I have no experience but just wanted to hand hold and keep you company in the moddle of the night.
.

I’m really sorry OP. I think the thing is these things are different for everyone.

We have a similar thing going on with a family member. First diagnosed with breast cancer about 15 years ago and it keeps coming back in different forms and different places. 4 surgeries, lots of chemo and now immunotherapy. It’s been officially terminal for about 6 months. But she’s well in herself, still walking the dog. You wouldn’t know.

Another family member was diagnosed with cancer with no previous history and within about 3 months they’d died.

Please feel free to reach out, I get it. I hate the waiting game personally, and I feel awful for just wanting it to be over. We’re trying to enjoy every minute.

I had primary BC, 16 years ago this September. In November 23, I was diagnosed with MBC to the lung. I had fluid accumulation, but once that was drained a few times, I was symptom free. I take ribociclib and letrozole as my first line of treatment.

Even with incurable cancer, you can still live a normal life, albeit a different kind of “ normal” and it is that, which needs some getting used to.

Best wishes to your family member.

For someone who is undergoing treatment and especially if they are well in themselves it’s incurable. It’s not terminal until the person is either no longer being treated or is in the last stages of the disease.

people can live well with incurable cancer often for many years (often with breast / prostate / bowel / some blood cancers) so terminal isn’t a great description.

@Rollofrockandsand agree.
I have two different incurable cancers, which I am being treated for. I don’t consider myself “ terminal”

One is stable and the other is being an arse.

I think the thing to remember that at this stage it’s very individual…treatments offered will depend on various things such as the patients wishes (not everyone chooses to pursue treatment or they may accept certain treatments and not others as quality of life can become more important than longevity), patients health, type of breast cancer and location of mets, symptom impact of mets. The options for treatments of secondary cancer are continually improving and many people are living ( and living well ) despite their palliative status. What I would say is that there is palliative support available, whether that’s via hospital or hospice / community services and/ or via charities ( all of which can be a very postcode specific provision ) …it can take a while for people to get their head round the transition from being “cured” to being palliative and , understandably , the emotions that brings up.