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Scared that mum's chemo isn't working.

marvelfan
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Hi all...

My mum has lung cancer and has now had 5 chemo sessions. She was diagnosed back in August and it has spread to the lymph nodes in the neck. Yesterday I asked mum how she felt and she said that for a while now she's had trouble breathing because of the tumor on her lungs. Does this mean that chemo is not working? Shouldn't she be feeling better if the chemo is working? Now I'm not stupid, I know that a few chemo sessions don't just make the cancer dissappear but shouldn't there at least be some sort of progress? :(

  • Welcome to Cancer Chat marvelfan.

    I'm glad your mum is able to have chemo for her lung cancer although I'm sorry to hear that she has been having difficulty breathing. Have you or your mum mentioned this to her medical team? If not it may be worth discussing it with them to get their thoughts on your mum's situation as they will be in the best position to advise on whether this is something to be concerned about whilst she is having chemo. You can also chat to our cancer nurses as well if you like. Just give them a call on 0808 800 4040 (which is free from a UK landline) before 5p.m today and they will be more than happy to discuss the concerns you have about the chemo.

    Kind Regards, 

    Steph, Cancer Chat Moderator

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    My mum went through exactly the same as this last year. She had 6 rounds of chemo to treat lung cancer. The treatment made my mum very ill and has probably made your mum feel the same too. Sometimes the side effects of the chemo can be hard to distinguish between the side effects of the actual cancer itself so try not to worry too much as these problems may just be the side effects of the treatment as the treatment is so harsh. All you can do is wait until her next scan. If you want to chat get in touch, it'd be nice to have someone to talk to whos going through the same thing x

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