Hello, everyone. I have a relative who has lung cancer, and I need
some advice fast.

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First, I will give some background information. This relative is a
male and is 78 years old. In 1995, at age 65, he had a heart valve
replaced. A few years later, he developed oseteoporosis.

In January 2007, he had kidney cancer, and one kidney was removed via
laproscopic surgery. He was told that he was cancer-free. A month or
two later, he had swollen legs, and he had a pacemaker installed. The
swelling went down. A little after that, he developed Parkinson's
disease.

About 10 days ago, he went into the hospital because the sac
containing his lungs was filling up with fluid. The doctors put some
tube into his body to drain the fluid. When the fluid buildup seemed
over, the tube was removed. Unfortunately, the buildup resumed.

Well, now he has been diagnosed with lung cancer. This relative has
never smoked, and no member of his household has ever smoked
(therefore, no exposure to second-hand smoke). One lung has cancer,
and the cancer has spread to the sac that contains the lungs.

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Here is what the relative's primary-care physician has said:

One possibility is to perform a major operation to remove the sac
containing the lungs. The doctor said that, for a man of my relative's
age and of his medical history, this operation could be fatal. This
operation involves opening up the body, similar to open-heart surgery.

Even if the operation is not fatal, the recovery will be long and
painful, and the relative could die in the recovery process. We are
waiting for a pulmonary specialist to give the exact chances of
surviving the procedure.

Even if the procedure is completely successful, the procedure would
only go so far as to improve the patient's breathing. The cancerous
lung would still be there, and chemotherapy would be needed to deal
with the cancer.

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By the way, I should mention that the relative's brother died of a
brain tumor in February 2007 at age 69.

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So, here are my questions:

1) Does anyone on this forum know my relative's odds of surviving the
sac-removal operation, given my relative's age and medical history?

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2) Instead of the major operation, is it possible to have the
following alternative procedure instead? :

The draining tube would be reinserted to drain the fluid, thus making
the relative's breathing easier (even though the tube's presence
itself may be painful). While the tube was inside the relative, the
relative would undergo chemotherapy.

Is this procedure feasible?

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Please answer my questions, and please feel free to add any comments.
Thank you very much, and God bless you.