The Colon Club

I have been isolating during the Covid era due to CRC tumors in my lungs. Praying, fasting and regularly partaking of the Body & Blood of Christ. Have felt good.
But now the tumor has grown & conglomerated in my lung, trying to choke my airway. Causing me to cough-up mucus with blood. I need a CPAP machine at night to keep my oxygen levels up.

Wednesday I get my first IMRT radiation treatment. I hate that the Onc referred to this as Palliative care. I want to kill the cancer and move on with my life. I changed doctors and cancer center to get better attention.
Away from the Onc who said: " I don't cure cancer. I only treat it." Ideally I obtain the Abscopal Affect as well.

You who have had radiation to lung: Please offer what I should expect in impact.

I recall a post by a woman a few years ago who didn't exactly meet the specs to receive Immunotherapy: but was able to be treated with Ketruda and it worked to heal the cancer in her lung. I would love to hear from her.
The darn Oncs won't allow me to receive Ketruda or any PD1 inhibitor (which may well help, by my research) since I am MSS. They only give to those who show as microsatillite UNSTABLE.

I live by God's grace and hope for the best for you all as well.

If I recall, the Keytruda for use on MSS patients was based on people with a "medium" Tumor Mutational Burden. If you know your TMB% that may help with research. Sorry not to be more helpful.

There was also a thread recently about a trial for other immunotherapy drugs on MSS patients. You may want to look into that. https://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=66252

I am sorry you are going through this. It sounds hard. I hope the radiation will turn things around for you. I had radiation on a small nodule in February (5 or 6 mm). I had no noticeable side effects. My WBCs appear to have improved after the therapy—not sure if that was the radiation (some studies have shown this effect) or just the passage of time from my other treatments. I’m also not certain if my experience will be repeated in your case, since my nodule was small, but I hope it is.

Guys, I wish the Onc would listen to you and these links.

For now, I have to pray that my body's immune system is strong, and will hold up to the radiation and go and kill more cancer.

This morning I did my 2nd dose of IMRT radiation. The treatment team seems skilled. But the newest machines rely on the computers to guid and curve the radiation by its' software.

I hope your radiation goes well. *hugs*

As of now I have completed 8 of 15 treatments. You can't feel the radiation. They tell me not to expect much in side effects.
They will analyze attrition of the tumor by a CT done 3 weeks after the final radiation. So I won't have a medical report until the end of August.

Until then I need prayers and should get back to more strict fasting.

I have had trouble keeping my airway open; so have coughed quite a bit. My Pulmonologist ordered me an Inhaler of Albuterol Sulfate. But it hasn't done much. Probably because the main tumor is in the lowest lobe of my right lung. So this afternoon he ordered me a Nebulizer. It took some logistics on the part of the Pulmonology nurse and us to obtain the machine. They still need to change to the correct code so that Medicare will pay for it. The same at the pharmacy for the nebulizer solution. Since they didn't code it properly, I had to pay for a small amount to get started. Hopefully they can get this entered properly on Monday and everything goes through.

Most importantly, hoping this will keep me breathing for the next few days. If I have to pay out-of-pocket, then its better than leaving my family all of a sudden.
If any of you uses a Nebulizer: please advise.

I hope medicare will pay for the nebulizer and that it will help you.*hugs* I use an nebulizer along with my inhalers and Mucinex during asthma flares. The neubulizer really helps.

How are you getting on ? Hope things are going ok for you .
Stu

Thanks for the replies and care.
The nebulizer does work. I began with only a mouthpiece to inhale. I returned to the DME and bought a mask, which makes it more natural to use.
When I saw the Radiation Onc on Monday, she noticed that I was not coughing as much.
The Pulmonologist said that there was no code which Medicare would accept to pay for either the nebulizer (and since not authorized, won't cover the medication either). Thankfully neither is very expensive.
I told the pulmonologist's assistant what the Onc Dr observed and she will get the report from her. (Earlier I said "either I can breath or I can't". Isn't that a good reason to authorize coverage?)
Thank goodness the government does not yet control ALL of healthcare in the USA.

I thank my friends and Christian prayers' for all of they'r prayers. And for our loving All Powerful God for being so All Merciful!
He created us as amazing creatures, and only our bodies can heal and correct our cells to eliminate the cancer.

I have 3 more treatments left. Then it will be 4 weeks before they do a CT scan to evaluate how much good has happened.

@Cured, I believe you're referring to Jack&KatiesMommy ... she had received Keytruda due to low tumor mutational burden and seen great results. Perhaps you can reach out to her directly for additional information about her experience.

My mom had also intermediate tumor mutation burden (11 mutations/mb) and Keythruda worked well for my mom and killed all lung tumors even if she is MSS. Lung tumors are more immunogenic and immunotherapy can work on lungs even if patient is MSS.