Lung Cancer/COPD

My Father-In-Law was diagnosed with COPD 4 years ago, The doctor gave him one inhaler to use as need no more than 4 times a day. So he has been using it everyday for 4 times a day until last January and he told the doctor (this is a Family Doctor and not a specialist) he had a Nepualizer and the doctor told him he could use it up to 4 times a day to. So he is taking his inhaler 4 or more times a day and the nepualizer 2 times a day and is still saying he cant breath (we have been fussing about this because we think that he is taking to much of the one med.). The doctor has never checked to see if the COPD has progressed or not. So I am taking him to Lung Specialist (not happy with his family doctor) what test should be done and what questions should I ask? He has also lost about 70lbs in the last year and has a bad cough and is congested & his nose runs all the time. He is always saying he can't eat. They did a CT scan and didn't find anything wrong with his stomach, but did see a spot on his lungs that he assumes it the COPD (he hasn't seen his family doctor yet). He was just diagnosed with Prostrate Cancer two weeks ago, it is at the beginning stage T1.  They did a bone scan and found a spot on his spin.  Could he have lung cancer?

[National Jewish]

Like cancer, severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can cause weight loss.  Losing 70 pounds in one year is a lot.  This is more than would usually be seen with COPD alone.  You should ask your father-in-law