Man with stage 4 lung cancer gets new lease of life after immunotherapy at Gurgaon hospital

New Delhi August 17A 79-year-old man who suffered from an aggressive stage four lung cancer has got a new lease of life after undergoing immunotherapy at a private facility in Gurgaon hospital authorities said on TuesdayThere is a notion that advanced lung cancer patients can have a life expectancy of one year according to a statement from Paras Hospitals GurgaonWith the use of immunotherapy we have been able to prolong the survival with excellent quality of life of a 79-year-old patient He is probably one of the longest survivors of stage four lung cancer benefiting from modern therapy it claimedThe patient was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in 2016 and he was administered immunotherapy since then He responded well to the treatment and is one of the longest survivors of advanced stage cancer in India claimed the statementAfter his diagnosis in 2016 the patient had an unsuccessful trial of chemotherapy of various types and he was quite debilitated confined to a wheelchair with his advanced lung cancerDr retd Col R Ranga Rao currently Chairman Paras Cancer Centre Paras Hospitals Gurgaon advised him immunotherapy which was quite new to India at that time and after a few weeks he was able to walk He initially had a few side-effects like skin rashes and thyroid issues but it was immediately managed by doctors it saidUnlike chemotherapy immunotherapy does not kill cancer It rather makes the immune cells more effective to fight the cancer cells Presently the patient is doing very well and waiting to celebrate his 80th birthday early next year the statement saidSpeaking about the case Rao said Despite an aggressive stage four cancer he has fought the cancer and has survived without undergoing any surgery Lung cancers can be tackled even at advanced stages and older age groups through the advances of newer techniques in cancer treatment and selection of the right choice of therapy The senior doctor claimed that he was one of the initial patients for immunotherapy which is especially for those patients who have failed chemo he saidWhen he came to me in 2016 he was wheelchair-bound and now he is a completely fit person who does his exercises regularly plays golf and comes for his check-up on his own the doctor claimedThe patient had a history of prostate cancer from which he recovered in 2010 and was suffering from Interstitial Lung Disease ILDInitially for three years he was called for immunotherapy for two weeks and then it was reduced to once every two monthsHis quality of life has improved to such an extent that now he has no cough breathlessness and weakness He has even gained weight and is living a normal life He has always been a non-smoker and always lead a disciplined life the statement claimed I never thought that I would be able to lead such a healthy and quality life after being diagnosed with two cancers the patient said PTI