Hello and thanks for posting

I am so sorry to hear about your dad's situation and appreciate living so far away must be very tough on you both.

It does sound like he has lots going on right now but I'm afraid without being involved in his care is it difficult to be able to say what the future may look like for him in the short or longer term. I understand you can't travel multiple times but talk to your dad and find out what he would like you to do.

Decisions about treatment are usually made by a team of specialist doctors who come together to discuss each patient, the cancer type and stage with all the information they have to decide what the best course of action is. The doctors will have all the information including medical records and scan and test results to help guide the decision as well.

Treatment plans will vary between patients and of course in different countries there may be differences in what treatments are available and on offer but there are often similarities.

These days many Non Small Cell Lung Cancer NSCLC patients are treated with targeted drugs that can extend life and the quality of life of patients. We have a section of information on our website about NSCLC, the stages and treatments in the UK here. And at this link you will find a section about targeted drugs specifically in advanced NSCLC.

It sounds like the team looking after your dad is going to discuss the option of immunotherapy (targeted) treatment and if they feel it will benefit him I am sure they will discuss this further together with your dad. The doctors will be looking at the make up of the cancer cells and any particular gene mutations within the cancers DNA that may respond to one of the targeted treatments. 

I hope this is helpful as I say have a chat with your dad to see when he might like you to visit but at the same time if you feel you need to go sooner rather than later then also listen to your gut feeling. Doctors can predict how long someone may have but it will only be a guess from previous patients in similar situations so often it is difficult to really know.

Please get back if you need to or if you prefer to talk things through over the phone with one of the nurses our number is 0808 800 4040, Mon-Fri 9-5.

All the best to you and your dad

Take care

Naomi