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Question: Mom diagnosed with advance cancer, really in need of help/advice/cancer survivors 411?

(Posted by: Azreal on 2009-07-17 20:24:57)

Just yesterday my mother was taken into the hospital, doctors told her she had cancer and that her liver had several tumors within, and that surgery would be impossible due possibly her bleeding out, they pulled me aside and told me that they can only provide "comfort " throughout this process, and that things will be getting worse and she will eventually pass . . . I have little or no knowledge on the subject, is there hope? should i transfer her to another loc? (we're in the tri- state area) aside from chemo, which they said they would do, are there other treatment options? =/ The diagnosis was that she had gall bladder cancer I believe, and because there were several tumors it was clogging up everything else and interferring w/ pancreas

Posted by: Panda on 2009-07-18, 09:42:19

You really do not provide enough information here (such as type of cancer and overall health and age of patient) . . survival from advanced cancer depends on a number of factors . . the location of disease, the stage, the grade, the cancer type as well as the patients age, overall health, and response to first line treatment. There is hope, but successful treatment for advanced disease is very difficult. However, if your mother is in overall good health and she can undergo chemotherapy she might consider going ahead with the treatment. What we found out is that doctors ALWAYS say in advanced cancer that surgery is not possible. But what they mean is that surgery is not possible right now . . at some point after taking chemotherapy you mother has a significant response than doctors may reconsider doing surgery. We also found out that not all oncologists or surgeons are created equally . . there are some who will do every single thing possible to save your mothers life while there are others who will provide comfort but are convinced your mother will die anyway. You need to find a doctor that you trust . . so you need a second or even third opinion . . find a good oncologist who treats the type of cancer your mother has and than allow him to do his job. Surgeons are the same way . . many will tell patients that they are 'inoperable' but what they really mean is that they don't have the skills necessary to operate on that type of tumor successfully . . they just can't do it and they know it. While other surgeons are extremely gifted and can go forward with these impossible surgeries . . these surgeons are found by word of mouth . . mostly from other patients who have had the procedures done after being turned away by regular surgeons. It is difficult to know from your description exactly what is going on . . but anyway . . get a second opinion. Also make sure that your mother is being treated at a designated comprehensive cancer center and not at your local general hospital: National Cancer Institute: Cancer Centers List by state cancercenters.cancer.gov/ cancer_centers/ cancer-centers-list.html You may also wish to join a mailing list to seek out others with this type of cancer . . it is the patients and caregivers who can pass along information about where the best places to go for treatment might be or what the latest information available is . . they can be a good resource as well as support (to be used in conjunction with the doctor). acor.org/ index.html Best of luck.

Posted by: luvlay_girl91 on 2009-07-17, 22:42:41

Right now with the cancer in advanced stages, there isn't much they can do except chemo. To go in with a knife they will probably only find that it is in many other places. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in stage 2b and has since then been labeled as "terminal ". They are still treating her and every now and then she improves and every now and then she gets bad. Mom slowly has been getting worse overall, and she will most likely eventually pass due to it, but although her outlook is quite grim, try to have faith that she could make it. Just be realistic that things can and most likely will get bad. She can consult her oncologist as to whether or not there are any other choices, you can accompany her to make sure all of your questions are asked and answered. Feel free to contact me with any other questions or concerns, my email address is in my profile. Good luck hun, I wish the best for you and your mother...

Posted by: Denisedds on 2009-07-17, 22:58:54

It is impossible to advise you without knowing at a minimum what kind of cancer she has. It is also not responsible to second guess her doctor who has all the information needed. Some kinds of cancer can be better managed than others, but stage 4 cancer is not curable. At this point, treatment is to prolong her life with as little symptoms as possible. We operate on a standard of care, so there isn’t going to be a hospital that has their own weapon against cancer the other hospitals are unaware of. Unless you are talking about clinical trials, which are not proven therapies and are usually used when traditional treatment has failed. If you are interested in clinical trials you may used the link below. clinicaltrials.gov/

Posted by: BSherman on 2009-07-18, 03:34:08

I have attached a link to the Merck Manual website for primary liver cancer (see below). Merck is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, and the Merck Manual is among the most widely used medical reference books. It will provide you with accurate and detailed information regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of liver cancer. You need to get more information from the doctor who diagnosed her. Is the cancer only in the liver, or has it spread to surrounding lymph nodes and/ or other organs? The answer is critical to her treatment plan and prognosis. If surgery has been ruled out, then chemotherapy will be the primary tool for confronting her cancer. Radiation therapy may also be used if the cancer is generally confined to one organ. It is perfectly acceptable to seek a second opinion regarding your Mom's status, but first get a full picture of what the current doctor is saying regarding primary site, stage of disease, spread locations (if any), and special characteristics (growth rate). You can also contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345. They have a great deal of information that may be immediately beneficial to your family.