Hi Lauraj87 and welcome to the Cancer Chat community although I'm really sorry to hear your dad has been diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer.

Finding out someone you love has cancer can be a huge shock and bring about so many thoughts and feelings, but I'm glad you've reached out to us as we have so many members here who will know what you're going through, so you are not alone, and I'm sure it won't be long until some of them stop by to share their advice on how to cope whilst this is going on.

If you feel it may help to talk things through with one of our cancer nurses, they're available on 0808 800 4040, Monday - Friday between 9a.m - 5p.m. They are really easy to talk to and will do all they can to support you and answer any questions you have about your dad's diagnosis at this time.

We're thinking of you Laura and will have our fingers crossed you and your dad won't have to wait too much longer for his biopsy results to come through.

Best wishes to you both,

Steph, Cancer Chat Moderator

Hiya Lauraj87.  So sorry that you and your family are going though this.  I have walked in your shoes.  I nursed my Mum when she had cancer.  You will somehow find the strength to get through this.  None of us know how we will cope in a traumatic situation until it happens to us, and very often, we find that we are a lot stronger than we believed ourselves to be.  It is perfectly natural to wonder HOW your Dad got lung cancer, but in all honesty, cancer is such an unpredictable disease that it is a question that is impossible to answer.  Sometimes people like your Dad, who have never smoked or worked amongst dangerous substances, DO get lung cancer.   For example, my Mum had cervical cancer, and I used to think that you only got cervical cancer if you had had lots of sexual partners.  In the case of my Mum, she had only been with my Dad, and I now realise that cervical cancer, just like lung cancer (or ANY cancer for that matter), can strike anyone.  You are also worried that your Dad's Treatment Plan won't work, and again, this is a perfectly natural fear.  You love your Dad and you are terrified of losing him.  However, I knew someone with advanced cancer who wasn't expected to live for more than 5 years......with treatment, he ended up living for 22 years .   I could tell you of many other cases of people that I have known who lived for many years after they were told that they did not have a long life expectancy, but I am sure you get the picture.  The fact that your Dad has such a loving and supportive family will help him tremendously, not just in the physical sense, but psychologically as well.  Just be there for him and keep telling him how much you love him.   I wish you the best of luck, xx 

Hi my mum is the same , she has been diagnosed with lung metastasised to adrenal glands and soft tissues, and cerebellum of brain, we are waiting for 2nd opinion biopsy and it's killing her and us a its aggressive. Been 3 weeks since sent off  , I can see it taking its toll on her and my dad.  X ️  I'm so worried as she was told its treatable but if result takes a long. Time I'm scared it will change...I.hope not

We are going today for my dad’s biopsy results and hopefully a plan of treatment. I totally feel your anxiety about the waiting time from diagnosis to starting treatment, I feel the same. I Just want my dad to start treatment now but I also want it to be the right treatment so understand that getting the biopsy results beforehand is important. I hope your mum gets get results soon too and can start her treatment. 

Thx Laura, hope his Treatment goes well.  How long did you wait for results was it 2nd opinion ones ?

His biopsy results came back within a week to confirm what the scan showed. We’re waiting now for further biopsies that will guide the oncologist on treatment. I suspect we will hear from the oncologist towards the end of next week or the week after.

There’s so many different treatment options that they select it based on the biopsy results to target the cancer cells direct rather than healthy cells. 

The waiting to start treatment is making me anxious that things can be worsening each day he isn’t getting the treatment