Lung Cancer and Diving

[rvrratz]

Hi,
I'm new to the forum. I'm a certified diver with lung cancer. It spread to my lungs from my throat. My oncologist recommended I don't scuba dive. Last year I disregarded the advice and did two 40' ft lake dives - with no problems.

Does anybody else out there have lung cancer and dive? Are there any oncologists or pulmonoligists out there that dive and have an unofficial opinion?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[lulubelle]

Hi,
I'm new to the forum. I'm a certified diver with lung cancer. It spread to my lungs from my throat. My oncologist recommended I don't scuba dive. Last year I disregarded the advice and did two 40' ft lake dives - with no problems.

Does anybody else out there have lung cancer and dive? Are there any oncologists or pulmonoligists out there that dive and have an unofficial opinion?

Thanks,
Mike

Not knowing the particulars of your situation, what your lungs look like now, etc, all I could offer is the standard advice to make sure you are cleared by physicians who know diving. I would think that the opinion of a Pulmonologist would be the one that mattered in this decision. I have a friend in the dive industry who has been in the same situation, let me know if you'd like to be put in touch with him at some point.

Good luck, and best wishes for a healthy and safe return to diving.

 

[TSandM]

This can be a horrendously dangerous practice. We lost an experienced cave diver about a year ago, when it proved that he had a lung tumor he didn't know about, and it caused him to embolize on ascent from a routine dive.

The problem with tumors in the lung is that they can easily block airways. If it's a complete blockage, the lung behind the tumor collapses, and it's not a big issue. If it is a partial blockage, however, it can ball-valve, allowing air to pass behind the lesion but not to get back out. This is the absolute setup for gas embolism.

I can't envision any kind of diagnostic imaging or testing that would identify this problem before it occurred.

It is always worth discussing this issue with a dive-savvy pulmonologist, and DAN can help you find one. But I think he'll agree with me. However, for each of us, diving is a calculated risk, and in the situation you describe, the various factors affecting risk assessment are skewed way out of the norm. So you have to make your own decision, and just make sure it's an informed one.

 

[rvrratz]

Thanks for the advice. It sounds like I'd better stick to snorkeling unless I go into remission.

Mike

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Notwithstanding blockage in one of the smaller airways and the possibility of gas embolism, any structural damage to the lung tissue will place one at greater risk of a tension pneumothorax. That's more risk than I would be willing to accept in a leisure activity.

Be careful even with snorkeling. It would be wise to stay on the surface.

 

[rvrratz]

Thanks again to all of you for your advice. I'll stay off compressed air, but if I get a chance to go snorkeling some place nice - I'll have to go for it.

If something happens while snorkeling that might be a better way to go than cancer. Everybody has to go sometime - I might as well enjoy the ride. And there is probably a good chance nothing will happen.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[wedivebc]

Thanks for the advice. It sounds like I'd better stick to snorkeling unless I go into remission.

Mike

May I also suggest you bring TS&Ms above post to the attention of your oncologist. Perhaps if he had known the dangers he might have left you with no doubt as to how bad the idea of diving was with your condition.
There are many really fine doctors out there who don't know much about dive medicine.

Best of luck with your recovery and quick return to a normal life.

 

[Cave Diver]

Thanks for the advice. It sounds like I'd better stick to snorkeling unless I go into remission.

Mike

Thanks again to all of you for your advice. I'll stay off compressed air, but if I get a chance to go snorkeling some place nice - I'll have to go for it.

If something happens while snorkeling that might be a better way to go than cancer. Everybody has to go sometime - I might as well enjoy the ride. And there is probably a good chance nothing will happen.

Thanks,
Mike

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

OP seems to have gotten the information they were looking for. Thread closed

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