How did it take from being diagnosed to start treatment?

Hi Purple prickles  it does seem to take a very long time in between hearing you have lung cancer and treatment starting. It does feel like you are sitting around waiting, and the doctors are not doing anything. This is not the case at all, and in fact there is a lot going on behind the scenes that we are not aware about. I would think that Dad would have had lots of tests, scans and possibly a biopsy since 9th November? All of these tests are necessary to make sure the correct treatment plan is put in place. Each scan needs a full report, which takes time, and a biopsy report can take 14 days. Once all of these results are back, the oncologist has what is called an MDT meeting, where he meets with several other health care professionals who discuss the findings of these results, and decide a treatment plan together. It is very much full steam ahead from there, so you go from sitting around waiting, straight into all systems go and into treatment. 

I know how frustrating the waiting is, a lot of people have said this is the worst part, as you feel in limbo, but once treatment starts it gets easier, because you feel like you are doing something about it. 

I hope your dad hears soon what his treatment plan will be. 

Thank you for the reassurance, yes he had the biopsy on the 17 November and a meeting last week which I thought would be to discuss treatment as well as finding out the results.  Seems they were told it was stage 4 and confirmed it had spread to the brain but nothing much else and now have to wait again to discuss treatment within 2 weeks.  It just feels like as the weeks pass it could be spreading more…

I think when we are waiting for things to happen, it seems like an age for any confirmation of appointments etc. but the weeks do go by quickly for the surgeons and nurses it just seems to drag for us who are are waiting, even a weekend is a long time when waiting for news. Mine was approx 2 and half to 3 months for my  Lobectomy op from diagnosis to operation. Yet my sister who had just been diagnosed with breast cancer it all happened in approx a month and half and could have been sooner had she have not wanted reconstructive surgery. 

Yes I have been the same.  I was diagnosed with lung cancer in the upper left lung at the beginning of September and did not start receiving treatment until the end of November.  I refused surgery and requested SABR instead because it was early stage with a good prognosis with SABR alone.  I think things take time regarding lung cancer as there are so many tests that need to be done beforehand, for example; numerous CT scans, brain scan, PET scan and lung biopsy.  The lung biopsy is to confirm what type of cancer it is, because if it is SCLC it is usually non-operable and requires chemotherapy as a first port of call, if it is NSCLC the treatment is different, either surgery (lobectomy) or radiotherapy.

Regarding your sister's breast cancer diagnosis, I had breast cancer which had spread to my axillary nodes, from diagnosis to surgery was 4 weeks.  There seems to be less tests needed where breast cancer is concerned, that is probably why treatment is quicker.

Best wishes to you and your sister, and I hope all goes well.

When you’re told you only have 2 months life expectancy and your waiting over a month for the biopsy results it’s a little stressful as it’s eating into your time and each week goes by your feeling worse which make him very tearful.

Hugs to you and your dad, it is a very hard time x

Thank you, my sister is in recovery in hospital, still very sore but doing well