Hi Bluette,

I am 67 years old and was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer about 15 months ago. Although only in my right lung apparently it had spread to the pleura. Because of severe COPD i could not have surgery to remove the tumour and in any case it was multifocal. I declined chemotherapy and believe that I made the right decision. I chose quality of life over quantity. I am still active and working and apart from increasing breathlessness and a few aches and pains I am symptom free. I walk for about an hour every day and keep busy with work and seeing or talking on the phone to friends. I believe my life would have been almost unbearable had I chosen chemo and I am glad I declined it. I am still going strong but know things will get worse. For me the dubious  benefits of chemo were not worth the suffering it entails so I made my choice. Each of us must make their own choice and we all are different and have differing situations etc. Good luck in your choice! John x

Hi John

Thanks for your message.  I am pleased to hear that you are doing well.  After I last posted at the beginning of December, I saw the oncologist who gave me a prognosis of 18 months to two years if I had chemo and about a year if I declined it.  I was happy to accept what nature had in store for me, choosing quality over quantity of life - chemo would only give me an extra year anyway.  I asked the doctor what he thought the point of chemo was in a case like mine and he said to try and stop the cancer spreading to the bones and brain.  I asked him a blunt question and he gave me a blunt answer!  I realise that chemo may not prevent the spread to those areas, but felt more inclined to accept a treatment which might make my life more comfortable.  

I had my first chemo infusion on 9 February and haven't experienced any side effects so far, apart from feeling a bit irritable from the steroids which I had to take for a few days.  It's quite possible that the chemo isn't particularly effective, as I'm still coughing a lot.  However, the side effects which I feared just haven't appeared so far.  This might be because I'm receiving palliative chemo rather than curative chemo, so maybe the dose is quite low. I think the oncologist is going to prescribe a codeine linctus for my cough.  

I suppose on balance I am pleased that I have opted for chemo, as while my main symptom of coughing hasn't improved yet, it may be that it delays the spread of the cancer.  At least I don't feel any worse, which is what I feared about accepting chemo.  

My experience hasn't changed my opinion about treatment. I still feel that we are all different and have to make choices that suit our individual circumstances.  I have been pleasantly surprised that I haven't suffered side effects, but I respect each person's choice regarding their own body.

Hi John

Thanks for your message.  I am pleased to hear that you are doing well.  After I last posted at the beginning of December, I saw the oncologist who gave me a prognosis of 18 months to two years if I had chemo and about a year if I declined it.  I was happy to accept what nature had in store for me, choosing quality over quantity of life - chemo would only give me an extra year anyway.  I asked the doctor what he thought the point of chemo was in a case like mine and he said to try and stop the cancer spreading to the bones and brain.  I asked him a blunt question and he gave me a blunt answer!  I realise that chemo may not prevent the spread to those areas, but felt more inclined to accept a treatment which might make my life more comfortable.  

I had my first chemo infusion on 9 February and haven't experienced any side effects so far, apart from feeling a bit irritable from the steroids which I had to take for a few days.  It's quite possible that the chemo isn't particularly effective, as I'm still coughing a lot.  However, the side effects which I feared just haven't appeared so far.  This might be because I'm receiving palliative chemo rather than curative chemo, so maybe the dose is quite low. I think the oncologist is going to prescribe a codeine linctus for my cough.  

I suppose on balance I am pleased that I have opted for chemo, as while my main symptom of coughing hasn't improved yet, it may be that it delays the spread of the cancer.  At least I don't feel any worse, which is what I feared about accepting chemo.  

My experience hasn't changed my opinion about treatment. I still feel that we are all different and have to make choices that suit our individual circumstances.  I have been pleasantly surprised that I haven't suffered side effects, but I respect each person's choice regarding their own body.