Hey friends,
I’m Gem and my dad (76) has just been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung (right) T3N1M0.
the tumour has progressed in the space of a month and his right lung is now partially collapsed, causing increased breathing difficulty. they cannot operate because it’s attached to some pretty important blood noodles and the risk of catastrophic bleeding is too high.
He just has the one kidney and its only functioning at 27% so chemo is off the table. The consultants have basically said all they can offer will be palliative radiotherapy — what are your opinions on him proceeding with this? What would side effects look like for him? He doesn’t want to go ahead with treatment if it’ll make him feel even worse than he already does and potentially give a small amount of extra time that he can’t enjoy because he’s so unwell.
we lost my mum to oesophageal cancer 20 yrs ago this year and what she went through side effects-wise was horrendous for both her and us.
help a girl out, I’m lost. 
Hi
Sorry to hear about your dad's diagnosis. My friend is on palliative care, she was diagnosed with stage 4 SCLC in the Summer of 2023. She has not had radiotherapy just chemo and immunotherapy. Her cancer was described as "incurable and inoperable" but treatable with palliative care. She is 76 and doing really well.
I am 18 months after being diagnosed with lung cancer also in 2023, although mine was early stage NSCLC. I opted for just radiotherapy. Although tiring and my appetite dropped, overall I was fine. I'm sure your dad will be fine with radiotherapy, it will also relieve some of his symptoms.
Please don't be scared of the word "palliative", it is given when patients are unsuitable for other methods of treatment, i.e., surgery or chemotherapy. I think he should go ahead with the radiotherapy, it is non-invasive and, unlike chemotherapy, there are less side effects. But this is something only your dad can decide. You and your dad should read up on the hospital information leaflets detailing all you need to know regarding radiotherapy.
On a lighter note, you gave me a giggle this morning when I read "important blood "noodles" 
Best wishes to you and your dad, and please let us all know how he is getting on.
Ann
