Dad has stage 3 advanced lung cancer

Hi everyone I hope someone can help answer a few questions for me, 

my dad was told he has lung cancer 6m ago he is 53 he had surgery but it shattered it and made it worse. He now has stage 3 advanced lung cancer he had loads of chemo didn't work now he's only option is radiotherapy which begins Thursday for two weeks. He can't swollow he's food as he feels sick when he does so on vitiamen shakes on morphine and other pain killers. He can just about make it to shower the rest of the time in hospital bed in living room with no energy it's also spread to kidney. He had a fall yesterday when he went to get up from getting his socks. I'm 25 with a 3y old little boy so I pop in when I can and text and call but I can't be a Carear as I have my son and my dad I'll as it is without a toddler running round 24/7 making him feel worse. 

pallative care team come in once a week. Does anyone know a time frame and what to except next I have no brothers or sisters my dads on his own. I feel bad but not much else I can do family members pop in and out. He don't want me to worry but I do a lot so he don't tell me the ins and out. Anyone experienced a loved one I'll in this way and the time expectancy and the stages his health will be at next? Don't want to ask him as feel rude to but going out my mind with worry 

kind regards char

  • Hello Char and a warm welcome to Cancer Chat, 

    I am so sorry to hear about your dad - it's so sad that surgery and chemotherapy haven't worked for him and I hope that radiotherapy will be a better option for him and that it is effective. You can read more about radiotherapy for advanced lung cancer on this page . It must be so hard for you to have to see your dad so fragile and falling, being unable to leave his bed and I can completely understand why you would not want a toddler to disturb him at the moment. 

    It's always difficult really to give anyone an accurate prognosis as it will inevitably vary from one person to another. Perhaps you could talk to the palliative care team about this or to your dad's medical team as they will have all the details of your dad's diagnosis? They might be able to give you more specifics as to what to expect. It might also be useful to you to read the section on our website on advanced lung cancer. You will find a lot of helpful information in there, for example on support at home that may be available to your dad.  

    Other members of our forum may have found themselves in a similar situation and I am sure they will have some good tips for you based on their personal experiences. Feel free also to give our nurses a call on this free number 0808 800 4040 if you'd like to talk things through with them - their line is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. 

    I hope that you manage to find the best kind of support for your dad and that the radiotherapy treatment improves things for him.  

    Best wishes, 

    Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator