Need help to understand cancer?

My dad was diagnosed with lung cancer about 2 months ago, we found it had spread to his lymph nodes and also to his bones so the chances of survival are slim. He is having chemo but today he i found out he needs early blood transfusions and he is refusing his medication…could this be a sign things are worsening significantly?? I am just look for people’s opinions as i do not live close by to my dad and dont speak to his doctor and am having problems finding info online….please help with suggestions of meanings and possible survival time…thanks in advance

first of all i am a nurse and do private duty nursing and stayed with many cancer pts and seen how quickly that it affects the patients and their family. But no one really understands it til it affects a member of their own family. I have to agree with someone else that answered that hospice is the best and i know this first hand as on oct 2nd this year my dad found out he had lung cancer. a week later after a week of xrays and cat scans he found out the cancer had spread from his lungs to his throat and brain. with the throat cancer, he had lumps come up on his neck. for the last 5 yrs we thought dad was going thru alzheimers, but come to find out that some of the symptoms of brain cancer was forgetfulness and repeating themselves.i did alot of research on these 3 cancers, and it will tell you that lung cancer has no cure. all kemo and radiation does is try to shrink the cancer cells, but doesnt get rid of them completely.since your dad is refusing his meds, its possible that the kemo might have burned his throat like dad, dad couldnt take pills towards the end and had difficulty in swallowing. there is a product on the market that the dr can write a prescription for and also get it at walmart….its called thick it. just put a couple of teaspoons in his water or tea or soup and it will thicken it up enough where he can drink it with ease.from the time dad found out he had cancer til the time he died, he lived 52 days. like i said i know what you are going through as i have been there and experienced it first hand. dad died on thanksgiving day this year, its hard for me to talk about this sometimes, but, just maybe from what we went thru with dad will help someone else with lung, throat or brain cancer. i know for a fact that hospice will not come in until they are done with kemo or radiation.once they come in, they will get anything you need for him, such as hoist lift, hosp bed, bedside commode, shower seat, wheelchair and walker. they will be there any time you need them or just to talk. hospice is wonderful.we tried to get dads dr to put him on the morphine liquid drops and he refused and i am still furious about that. thanksgiving being a holiday, a hospice RN can override a drs orders which is what we did. we finally got him on the drops about 5 hrs before he died. hospice said it eased the transition from being in pain to leaving this world. all 3 kids were by his side when he left us. we told him we loved him and that we always had and that it was ok to go, that we would see him again.all that day he was unresponsive except for one time when he opened his eyes and looked at mom and said i love you babe. the sunday before he passed, we kids knew even as sick as he was, he still knew the love for mom and i had the pleasure of witnessing it first hand. he pulled her down and whispered in her ear and she smiled and said i love you too and then he pulled her down a second time and whispered something again, and again she smiled as tears came to her eyes as she said i have always loved you too. so my friend i hope that what i have shared with you has helped you in some ways. feel free to email me anytime you need to talk. sultrybitchnc@yahoo.com

ASCO: Erbitux Gives Extra Time to Advanced Lung Cancer

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