Mumbai: Doctors have been successful in giving a 62-year-old wheelchair-bound woman a new lease of life after she was diagnosed with stage IV small cell lung cancer. The woman had breathing trouble, facial swelling and cough which needed oxygen therapy. After six cycles of chemotherapy and radiation, her life is now back on track.
“The patient had consulted a chest physician, who had diagnosed her with advanced stage lung cancer. She had been in danger of losing her life, owing to the aggressive nature of the tumour,” said a doctor.
Dr Suhas Aagre, consultant medical oncologist, Asian Cancer Institute, Mumbai, says, small cell lung cancer is the most aggressive kind of cancer and survival rates are poor (8-10 per cent) as its aggressive nature enables the tumour to spread quickly. “Biopsy confirmed small cell lung carcinoma and she also underwent a PET-CT(scan), which indicated there was a large mass (8.6cmx8.4cmx8cm) present in her right lung, which was narrowing the great blood vessels of the neck, leading to abnormal fluid accumulation around the heart and lungs,” he said.
The patient was given six cycles of chemotherapy and radiation and she responded dramatically to the treatment. “Her facial swelling disappeared and her breathlessness also subsided. She has been on regular follow-up treatment for the last two years and is leading a normal life,” said Dr Aagre.
The patient’s daughter said she had been concerned about her mother’s health after she was diagnosed with lung cancer, as her plight kept deteriorating and the family was running from pillar to post to save her life. “Fortunately, we visited the Asian Cancer Institute, where she received timely treatment and is now leading a normal, independent life. We go for regular follow-ups, and the doctor has given my mother a clean bill of health now, as the reports are normal,” she said.
