Cancer A-Z Forum - Recent Posts https://mycancerinfo.org/community/ Cancer A-Z Discussion Board en Sat, 11 Apr 2026 23:16:06 +0000 wpForo 60 Answer to: My friend told me cancer treatment has improved a lot in recent years. What new advances are actually helping patients today? https://mycancerinfo.org/community/cancer-a-z-qna/my-friend-told-me-cancer-treatment-has-improved-a-lot-in-recent-years-what-new-advances-are-actually-helping-patients-today/#post-106 Fri, 27 Mar 2026 04:02:13 +0000 With the advent of precision medicine, cancer treatment becomes personalized. It is not one size fits all type of treatment but now a tailor fit one. With molecular test, the unique molecular target or actionable mutation provide kind of treatment that is more effective and more tolerable. Even newer chemotherapy provides better effective and tolerable treatment. 

]]> Dr_Lola https://mycancerinfo.org/community/cancer-a-z-qna/my-friend-told-me-cancer-treatment-has-improved-a-lot-in-recent-years-what-new-advances-are-actually-helping-patients-today/#post-106 Answer to: My friend was diagnosed with colon cancer and she’s confused about all the treatment options. How do patients usually begin to understand them? https://mycancerinfo.org/community/cancer-a-z-qna/my-friend-was-diagnosed-with-colon-cancer-and-shes-confused-about-all-the-treatment-options-how-do-patients-usually-begin-to-understand-them/#post-105 Fri, 27 Mar 2026 03:16:25 +0000 The patient should consult an Oncologist to explain the treatment plan. Different stages and different molecular characteristic of the tumor dictate the treatment option. The functional performance status, function of patient's organ and accompanying disease condition also being considered on the treatment options and selection. All of these information can be best explain by your Oncologist. 

]]> Dr_Lola https://mycancerinfo.org/community/cancer-a-z-qna/my-friend-was-diagnosed-with-colon-cancer-and-shes-confused-about-all-the-treatment-options-how-do-patients-usually-begin-to-understand-them/#post-105 Answer to: My friend was recently diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. Is cancer treatment always trial-and-error, or are there tests that help doctors choose treatments more precisely? https://mycancerinfo.org/community/cancer-a-z-qna/my-friend-was-recently-diagnosed-with-stage-4-colon-cancer-is-cancer-treatment-always-trial-and-error-or-are-there-tests-that-help-doctors-choose-treatments-more-precisely/#post-104 Fri, 27 Mar 2026 03:12:12 +0000 Treatment for colon cancer is guided by internal guidelines like NCCN and ESMO guidelines. The guidelines are based on robust clinical stuidies. For stage IV disease, the molecular profile or characteristics is being analyzed to determine what set of drug will most likely work. Just like in any test, no test will give a 100% assurance that a drug will work. The condition inside the body could not be replicated 100% in the laboratory. These conditions that are unique in every individual will affect the final response to the drug. That is why given the same cancer type and same test result, a drug  will work for one patient and will not work on another patient. The treatment recommendation is based on robust clinical evidence and guided by molecular profile of the tumor. But then again, no two individual and even no two tumors are exactly the same explaining different responses to different patients.  

]]> Dr_Lola https://mycancerinfo.org/community/cancer-a-z-qna/my-friend-was-recently-diagnosed-with-stage-4-colon-cancer-is-cancer-treatment-always-trial-and-error-or-are-there-tests-that-help-doctors-choose-treatments-more-precisely/#post-104 Answer to: My husband has lung cancer and his doctor mentioned several treatment options. How do doctors usually decide which treatment to start with? https://mycancerinfo.org/community/cancer-a-z-qna/my-husband-has-lung-cancer-and-his-doctor-mentioned-several-treatment-options-how-do-doctors-usually-decide-which-treatment-to-start-with/#post-103 Fri, 27 Mar 2026 03:00:17 +0000 The doctor usually follow international guidelines like the US guideline called NCCN guideline or European guideline called ESMO guideline. Depending on the stage or extent of the tumor, there are set of recommended strategy like surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and monoclononal antibody. The functional performance status, liver,kidney,heart and other organ functional status and co existing disease also taken into account. A particular case is usually presented in a meeting where several cancer specialists are present called cancer multidisciplinary team meeting and decide treatment option applicable to a patient aftet considering all the clinical characteristics of the patient. 

]]> Dr_Lola https://mycancerinfo.org/community/cancer-a-z-qna/my-husband-has-lung-cancer-and-his-doctor-mentioned-several-treatment-options-how-do-doctors-usually-decide-which-treatment-to-start-with/#post-103 Answer to: how to detect lung cancer, smoking for 2 years https://mycancerinfo.org/community/cancer-a-z-qna/how-to-detect-lung-cancer-smoking-for-2-years/#post-102 Fri, 27 Mar 2026 02:50:12 +0000 For patient who are considered high risk can be recommended to undergo low dose CT scan of the chest as a part of conventional lung cancer screening. You may consult a Pulmonologist or Oncologist to assess an individual if high risk tk develop lung cancer. An additional or complimentary molecular test can be requested. The molecular test may look into the reaction of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear cells as it encounter cancer cells. It incorporate machine learning on the analysis. Another molecular test look into the presence and characteristics of circulating tumor dna or ct dna and tell if there is possibility of the presence of cancer. 

]]> Dr_Lola https://mycancerinfo.org/community/cancer-a-z-qna/how-to-detect-lung-cancer-smoking-for-2-years/#post-102 Answer to: My husband has lung cancer and his doctor recommended chemotherapy, but he’s worried about side effects. Are there tests that could help avoid treatments that might not work? https://mycancerinfo.org/community/cancer-a-z-qna/my-husband-has-lung-cancer-and-his-doctor-recommended-chemotherapy-but-hes-worried-about-side-effects-are-there-tests-that-could-help-avoid-treatments-that-might-not-work/#post-101 Fri, 27 Mar 2026 02:39:03 +0000 For lung cancer, molecular test is requested and the doctor will look for molecular target or actionable mutation. Then the doctor will look for corresponding drug called targeted therapy, monoclonal antibody or immunotherapy that most likely will work. Although, no particular test will give a 100% assurance that the drug will work but will only select the drug which most likely will work. The doctor may also request for chemosensitivity test to select conventional or cytotoxic chemotherapy that will most likely work to the patient. It will also include sensitivity report to selected targeted therapy and monoclonal antibody. Additional sensitivity to natural products can also be requested. 

]]> Dr_Lola https://mycancerinfo.org/community/cancer-a-z-qna/my-husband-has-lung-cancer-and-his-doctor-recommended-chemotherapy-but-hes-worried-about-side-effects-are-there-tests-that-could-help-avoid-treatments-that-might-not-work/#post-101 Answer to: My friend has LMS of the kidney and it has since been removed. But PET scan shows it has spread to her liver and bones. She is 78 years old and frail looking. What medications should she take in order to cure or prevent the spread of the d... https://mycancerinfo.org/community/cancer-a-z-qna/my-friend-has-lms-of-the-kidney-and-it-has-since-been-removed-but-pet-scan-shows-it-has-spread-to-her-liver-and-bones-she-is-78-years-old-and-frail-looking-what-medications-should-she-take-in-order/#post-100 Fri, 27 Mar 2026 02:28:35 +0000

Based on international guudeline, chemotherapy is the standard treatment for leiomyosarcoma that spread or metastasize to other organ. For those who can not tolerate or does not want chemotherapy, you must consult a Medical Oncologist. The doctor may request for molecular test and may look for molecular target or actionable mutation in which some drug called targeted therapy or immune check point inhibitor (immunotherapy) might work. You may also discuss with the Medical Oncologist the side effects of the targeted therapy and immunotherapy. 

]]> Dr_Lola https://mycancerinfo.org/community/cancer-a-z-qna/my-friend-has-lms-of-the-kidney-and-it-has-since-been-removed-but-pet-scan-shows-it-has-spread-to-her-liver-and-bones-she-is-78-years-old-and-frail-looking-what-medications-should-she-take-in-order/#post-100 My friend has LMS of the kidney and it has since been removed. But PET scan shows it has spread to her liver and bones. She is 78 years old and frail looking. What medications should she take in order to cure or prevent the spread of the disease? https://mycancerinfo.org/community/cancer-a-z-qna/my-friend-has-lms-of-the-kidney-and-it-has-since-been-removed-but-pet-scan-shows-it-has-spread-to-her-liver-and-bones-she-is-78-years-old-and-frail-looking-what-medications-should-she-take-in-order/#post-99 Thu, 26 Mar 2026 14:51:15 +0000 My friend has LMS of the kidney and it has since been removed. But PET scan shows it has spread to her liver and bones. She is 78 years old and frail looking. What medications should she take in order to cure or prevent the spread of the disease?

]]> Kuma https://mycancerinfo.org/community/cancer-a-z-qna/my-friend-has-lms-of-the-kidney-and-it-has-since-been-removed-but-pet-scan-shows-it-has-spread-to-her-liver-and-bones-she-is-78-years-old-and-frail-looking-what-medications-should-she-take-in-order/#post-99 how to detect lung cancer, smoking for 2 years https://mycancerinfo.org/community/cancer-a-z-qna/how-to-detect-lung-cancer-smoking-for-2-years/#post-98 Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:58:39 +0000 ?how to detect lung cancer, smoking for 2 years

]]> iwannaask https://mycancerinfo.org/community/cancer-a-z-qna/how-to-detect-lung-cancer-smoking-for-2-years/#post-98 My husband has lung cancer and his doctor recommended chemotherapy, but he’s worried about side effects. Are there tests that could help avoid treatments that might not work? https://mycancerinfo.org/community/cancer-a-z-qna/my-husband-has-lung-cancer-and-his-doctor-recommended-chemotherapy-but-hes-worried-about-side-effects-are-there-tests-that-could-help-avoid-treatments-that-might-not-work/#post-97 Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:46:00 +0000 My husband has lung cancer and his doctor recommended chemotherapy, but he’s worried about side effects. Are there tests that could help avoid treatments that might not work?

]]> Joanna 830 https://mycancerinfo.org/community/cancer-a-z-qna/my-husband-has-lung-cancer-and-his-doctor-recommended-chemotherapy-but-hes-worried-about-side-effects-are-there-tests-that-could-help-avoid-treatments-that-might-not-work/#post-97