For any individual unfortunate enough to be caught inside later stages of lung melanoma (stage IV), and with the candidate of may be less than 12 months to reside in, patient preparation can often play being an important role in the final treatment of any patient, as the final treatments that could be offered themselves. Preparation is often about patient awareness, and the understanding of what exactly should be expected in the final days, days, or months that lay ahead.
Symptoms
Late stage symptoms usually will include a difficulty in breathing (shortness of breath) as a result of fluid build-up around the lungs which result in a blocking of the airflow, paying blood in the sputum (mucus coughed up from your lower airways), chest pains, as well as a notable weight loss (anorexia). Additionally in late stage IV lung melanoma, the metastasis (spread) of this cancer has usually already extended beyond the tumor towards the surrounding tissues, and to each lungs.
It is not uncommon to get at this late stage which the cancer has metastasized to as their pharmicudical counterpart, kidneys, liver, prostate, and this bones, through the blood as well as lymph system. It would also be quite normal for the patient to start experiencing additional severe cancer related problems such as: seizures, visionary problems, and a weakness that could be contained to one side of the body, and which may become progressively worse because weeks go by.
Late Period Palliative Care
At this late stage there exists really little hope for this cancer patient to survive, because cancer can now no lengthier be cured, and only palliative care (minimising this progression and relieving the symptoms of cancer) might be offered. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are two treatments which can be offered to a patient to help ease chest pains and severe breathing problems, which in turn may also help prolong life a little longer; however, "a little longer" is normally the case, and for this reason the person or their family may decide to never accept the treatment.
Although chemotherapy will offer a patient some help at this late stage, the side-effects for some may be just to over-whelming to bear. However, doctors tend to suggest that patients accept chemotherapy treatment, pointing out which the side-effects are only temporary, and usually less severe that the symptoms of the disease itself. Of course such advise would be given on an individual schedule, as age, previous treatment result, and general condition of a patient might need to be taken into consideration.
Even so, the harsh reality is that will stage IV lung cancer is focused on palliative care, and the preparation of a person to die with a bit more dignity than may of otherwise been the case.
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