Anyone know a lot about cancer?

[Barendd Nobeard]

....and can explain it to a mere mortal like me?

I am looking for some information about cancer. Some very general, laymen's terms kind of information about mutiple cancers in one person.

Googling turns up a billion hits, but the hits usually link to articles filled with medical terms that make my eyes glaze over.

Cancer sucks.

 

[Aurora]

WHat kind of information are you looking for? Life expectencies? treatment? WHat types of cancers are we talking about?

 

[Treebore]

Generally multiple cancers in one person=short life expectancy from time of diagnosis, unless they are the wierd non-malignant kind.

Mor detailed info about the situation ou are researching would definitely help. Such as the names and natures of the cancers involved.

 

[megamania]

I am a cancer survivor. What are you looking for? Facts? Experiences? Emotions?

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for, so here's a few more facts & thoughts.

About three and a half years ago, my mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor. While doing some prep work for the surgery, doctors found some cancer in her small intestines.

So, four weeks after the brain surgery, there was abdominal area cancer surgery (6 tumors, the largest the size of a dinner plate, another the size of a grapefruit, and a few others not quite as big--perhaps the size of crabapples) and a small bit of small intestine was removed. The doctor termed it "chronic cancer" and said it would probably come back every four years or so.

Six months later it was back, and this time they removed about 20 feet of her small intestines (the surgeon said you need three feet to live, she has five feet remaining). This time there were about 50 or 60 tumors, growths, and polyps.

Since then, it's come back twice. Always in the small intestine area, but no more intestine has been removed. She goes in twice a year (or maybe more frequently) for scans to check.

And the latest scan has shown, in my mother's words: "The cancer is back and there are some new growths, including one in my lung, ugh! Since I just had surgery in late May he believes it is time to try chemotherapy."

So, they're going to try chemo, despite saying previously that this type of cancer does not respond well to chemo.

Cancer runs in my mom's family. Her mother came from a family of 11 children and I believe 7 of them had cancer at some point (5 fatal; 2 survivors). Most of the cancers were different (lung, colon, lymph nodes+stomach, uterine, 2 breast cancers, and one other). I also had a cousin with leukemia. She was given six months to live in 1972, but is now in total remission and doing fine. That, I fear, was our family's miracle recovery from cancer and odds are we won't get a second one.


I will get some more precise information (actual cancer name, etc.)



I guess I was mostly interested (initially) in interactions / spreading issues, since there is now "something" on her lung. Her lungs should be in good shape--she quite smoking over 20 years ago. But with the way her "chronic cancer" likes to come back so quickly, that is a really discouraging sign (to my untrained self, anyway).

But, please, share any facts or experiences. I'm sure I'm not the only person here dealing with cancer in a loved one.

 

[sckeener]

words like 'my prayers are with you' and good luck are not enough, but you have mine.

I am surprised they didn't do Chemo and I hope they did a hysterectomy.

My ex-parents in law both died from cancer. For each it was cancer #3 that did it. Both had colon cancer at the start.

My ex-grandmother in law died from cancer, but we don't know what type since she didn't get treatment. She felt like she should be with her daughter who had already died of cancer.

My grandfather had colon cancer and did Chemo. He listened to all the tales of woe we had with my ex-parents-in-law and decided he wanted chemo even if it wasn't needed. Chemo was rough and he hasn't been the same afterwards, but he has been around for 6 more years than we thought.

 

[Treebore]

I've lost 3 family members to cancer in the last 5 years. Other than that it has been to heart attacks.

 

[Umbran]

But, please, share any facts or experiences. I'm sure I'm not the only person here dealing with cancer in a loved one.

I've a bother who died to stomach cancer, but I think I'll serve here as a source of facts. Please excuse me if I start at too simple a level, but I don't know what you do and don't know...

Cancer is, in essence, normal body cells gone awry, dividing without normal rhyme or reason - sometimes slowly, but often very, very quickly. Frequenly enough, when a cell goes haywire, your body's imune system recognizes the fact and deals with it. Unfortunately, sometimes the immune system doesn't recognize the cell as abnormal. So it is left ot replicate, over and over. And it's progeny also replicate in the same haywire fashion. The result is typically a clump of abnormal cells we call a "tumor".

Now, as mentioned before, these cells are not normal. They don't always stay put, so cancer can spread to other parts of the body, usually through the blood or lymphatic systems (often referred to as "metastasizing"). Cancer that has metastasized can be very difficult to eradicate fully. Surgery won't do the trick, as there could be a cancerous cell or two just about anywhere in the body. In addition, by the time this happens, the cancer is starting to interfere with normal body function - the cancer is already at least particlaly slipping by the immune system, and further weakening means even less immune-action.

The "chronic cancer" you mention does sound a lot like metastasis - bad cells have gotten all over the place, so new tumors can crop up in many places.

 

[Treebore]

I have a feeling, Nobeard, that your mother has been seriously understating the severity of her condition to you.

Is she the kind of mom who would lie to you to save you from...whatever it is she would think she would be sparing you from?

If so its time for you to make absolutely sure as to the severity of her condition. It sure sounds like she is in stage 4, which isn't good. If these are somehow wierd benign cancers that matastisize like malignant cancers, then she is OK. Maybe. But it sounds to me like she is "whitewashing" things a good bit for you.

 

[DaveMage]

My wife is in the process of fighting breast cancer (she's expected to be fine). She has had chemotherapy and is currently going through radiation.

Unfortunately, there are no simple answers.

To confuse the issue even more, all cancers are different and are therefore treated differently.

My hopes and thoughts go out to you and your mom, Barendd.

Good luck!