This morning we saw Dr. Moores at the Churchill Hospital. He is part of the Respiratory lung team. It was him who did the bronchoscopy investigation last week.
Both lungs have ‘spots’ of cancer on them but nothing spread out of the lungs. The technical term is ‘a Non-small cell lung cancer known as Adenocarcinoma ‘.
It is not a type of cancer that can be totally cured but with targeted medication it can be shrunk and controlled for an indefinitely long period depending on staying fit, well exercised etc.
In order to be specific about treatments (targeted therapies) he wants to do a further biopsy which is done from the exterior of the lungs and is scheduled for next Tuesday, 23rd March. A few days later he will know which treatment makes best sense.
Subject to what he finds there are three kinds of available treatment:
- Chemotherapy administered at the hospital or
- A tablet taken at home or
- There is an immune treatment which we understand is new. This forms part of the targeted therapies being developed.
It was also mentioned that this kind of cancer was not attributed to smoking which N found it was a relief to hear!.
We also met and had a very helpful conversation with the Senior nurse from the Lung Cancer team. (Hannah Ball) . They will provide a constant point of reference within the system. As Joanna knows from her experience with breast cancer these support teams are brilliant and one can ring them at any time. The Churchill Hospital is exceptionally well-equipped and staffed for specialist treatment.
N ’s future day to day treatment will be guided by an oncologist (don’t yet know his/her name) assigned specially to N’s case.
We understand that after whichever treatment N gets, his immunity will be reduced for 10 days following it and he will easily get tired. Both Dr. Moores and Hannah Ball emphasised the value in staying intellectually and physically active – and no objection to a glass of whisky in the evening!
Dr. Moores is also looking into the possibility of accelerating our second jabs on the basis of new research confirmed in the last couple of days.
Until it is clear from the next biopsy what treatment will be specifically appropriate, we can’t yet map out the diary with visits from you all. But the general indication is that we will need to continue
to maintain the COVID protocol for spacing. This should be fine for meals in the garden – we are yet to understand when the Covid rules will allow us to meet inside. It would be important that you are all aware about any contact you might have had with any transmissible disease that you or one of your small kids might accidentally have encountered.
This news is of course not welcome. It is not as bad as we might have feared and not as good as we might have hoped.
N is in the hands of excellent people and we have each other and you all for infinite moral support. We are planning to use Kidlington as a base for lots of adventures this year – from paella with the neighbours, to a trip to the Derbyshire Peak district and of course seeing you all in your exciting locations. No holes will be barred! An early trip might well include a visit to Mfld – and also include picking up venison steaks from Rodney – who alas is closing his butcher’s shop for ever at the beginning of May.
As to the public politics of the situation, our plan is to be open and candid to everyone who matters and otherwise not make much of thing of it… Maybe: ‘ N has lung cancer but of a kind that can be controlled by targeted therapies and medication – so life goes on very fully.
Thanks to Hannah above, we already have some very good information For further information that you might all find useful the following organisations that she recommended. We already have booklet ‘understanding Cancer’ from the Macmillan Cancer Support ’ which is set out very clearly . She also recommends Cancer Research and. ‘Roy Cassel’s charity website.
How about a family Zoom at 6 tonight. Just to touch base and for both of us to feel the love and support from all of you. NO GLOOM necessary.
With all our steadfast love to all of you xxxxxxxxx
Nicholas and Joanna
