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We have a 84 yearold mother with 11cm spoton the left lobeof the liver coming from the breast the occurred 5 years ago she was treated with taxol and andriomiacin? she has some metastatic involvement in the adrenal glands and lungs also. she was diagnosed in November of 2002 and we weretold she had 3 months. Chemo has reduced the spot to 7cm or so and she thinks she is cured. we are at a loss no one will talk to us without sugar coating everything the chemo has her covered in scabs and weak. she is also dizzy and her balance has been off since may. we can't seem to get straight answers about prognosis or even tretment otpions is she being cured should she keep doing chemo she is in complete denial she will not even admit she has cancer what would make her dizzy she is a wierd grey palor not gold and her whitecountare1.6 and red blood counts lo we really need informatiomn in order to keep her as healthy as we can
In Reply to: metastatic breast stage IV liver posted by genene stell on February 20, 2003 at 08:21:21:
My mother died in 2000 of advanced breast cancer at the age of 50 that was in her lung, liver, brain, stomach, bones...everywhere. I feel your frustration with the doctors, and the fact is they really don't know how to treat cancer. I'm not a doctor basher, but the whole way they approach cancer is to completely knock out the patient's immune system, leaving their body completely defenseless to fight off cancer or anything else. I would keep your mother as comfortable as possible. Liver cancer can be quite painful. You may want to contact hospice care. I hate to be pesimisstic, but from what your describing it doesn't sound as though she will be with you much longer. The dizziness may be caused from brain tumors. My mother was under treatment for a long time and the dizziness was constantly being written off as a chemo side-effect, which could be also. She suddenly stopped being able to walk, make sense, or control bodily functions when they did a brain scan. It showed 30-40 brain tumors of varying size. Radiation shrunk them and she was able to walk, control functions and make sense again, but her personality was very different. If I could of, I would have stopped all allopathic treatment for her, but I wasn't in charge of the desicion making. If your mom was my mom, I would stop the chemo, it really only killed my mother faster. She took taxol ( and two other types but their names escape me at the moment) as well. In advanced cancer I think it does more harm than good. Does she want to go off the chemo and medications? Maybe her denial is her way of telling you she doesn't want to go through anymore treatment. I would ask her point blank if she would like to stop the chemo and concentrate on preserving her quality of life. It doesn't sound to me as though the chemo is helping her enough to rationalize all the side effects it is giving her. I would have her grandchildren and children surround her and give her lots of love for the rest of her life. Good luck and I will check again to see if you wrote back. Again, I don't mean to be negative with anything I wrote but I have been through this and I wish I could change the way it happened for my mom. You still can!
In Reply to: metastatic breast stage IV liver posted by genene stell on February 20, 2003 at 08:21:21:
HOW LONG WAS YOUR MOTHERalive after the liver was involved
In Reply to: metastatic breast stage IV liver posted by genene stell on February 20, 2003 at 08:21:21:
HOW LONG WAS YOUR MOTHERalive after the liver was involved. my mom is 84 and has severe bone density problems she has had stress frctures that have been very painful. she will not stop chemo because the tumor is smaller and she thinks she is cured. she has had an mri but it showed no brian tumors
In Reply to: Re: metastatic breast stage IV liver posted by genene stell on February 20, 2003 at 15:44:07:
My mother was diagnosed with cancer in April of 1999, but outwardly seemed very vivacious and healthy. Her skin glowed her muscles had tone. She died in November of 2000. From the time of diagnosis, her liver was involved. It seemed that they kept finding it more and more places as the months rolled by. She was already stage 4 at diagnosis. At the time of her diagnosis, her oncologist informed us that there were 32 or so types of breast cancer alone and hers was not a very aggressive form. However, according to the size of the tumor they removed, it was estimated that the disease started 5-7 years earlier. There isn't any way doctors or anyone else can tell you how long she will live. I realize that is frustrating, but every case is different. If she thinks she is cured then why does she want to stay on chemo? Or is it that she thinks she is on the road to being cured, and feels that if she stops it will grow bigger again? I'm glad to hear there aren't any brain tumors. Liver and bone cancer are rarely "cured". From my research and visits with my mother's oncologist, both are considered terminal cancers most of the time. Are her doctors just trying to soften the blow when discussing her prognosis or are they making it seem as though they can "fix" her? My mother's doctor was extremely realistic, almost too much so. He made my mother feel as though she might drop dead at any second and so she gave up mentally and physically. It may work to your mom's advantage to feel there is hope, but it is still a good idea for you to make realistic decisions. Have you sought a second or third opinion? That may be more confusing to you and your family, because there are so many different protocols and views on cancer. You may want to talk with an acupunturist, naturopath or homeopath, just to get a different perspective and maybe a more honest answer about prognosis and whether continuing treatment would be beneficial. Your mother does have the final call, though, and if staying on the chemo is what her oncologist is telling her, that is probably who she believes. Is she open to any alternative treatments? Don't bother asking her oncologist what he thinks, because he will tell you that none of it works. Not necessarily because he is being dishonest, but because he has only really been trained in how to treat the symptom, not the whole body or root causes. My stepfather was making the decisions for my mother and he never believed anything anyone told him, not even her doctor. Situations like this are extremely difficult and I really understand your feelings. I will help you with whatever knowledge I can give you. If you have more questions, post them on this thread and I will answer you. Maybe you should do some reading in the archives about breast cancer to better understand how to prevent this disease from occuring in you or any other family member. I don't know if there is much info in there about such an advanced case. Hasn't your mother's doctor explained that stage 4 is the most advanced stage of breastcancer? I included a link about the stages of breast cancer. Maybe you could take it and privately speak with her doctors about it. My family and I met with my mother's oncologist to have a family meeting and get some questions answered without her being there. She was not mentally competent at that time to make her own medical decisions, so I'm not sure if a doctor in your mother's situation is allowed to do that. I would still ask, though. That may be a good way for you to get a more straightfoward answer.
In Reply to: metastatic breast stage IV liver posted by genene stell on February 20, 2003 at 08:21:21:
Here is something from the breast cancer archives. The woman, Pam< has obviously been through this. Leave her a post asking for her help. Maybe she will have some suggestions
In Reply to: Try leaving a post for Pam posted by Stephanie on February 20, 2003 at 18:00:13:
Oops, I forgot to leave the link!
In Reply to: metastatic breast stage IV liver posted by genene stell on February 20, 2003 at 08:21:21:
I'll get this right one of these times, sorry again! Here it is really this time!
In Reply to: metastatic breast stage IV liver posted by genene stell on February 20, 2003 at 08:21:21:
Hi, Genene.
The time will come when alternative medical approaches will be tried FIRST, when they can actually do something, and not at this late stage.
Anything that might help will take at least 3 months. I would suggest she get enrolled in the local Hospice and everyone just love her until she passes. She has chosen the thing that is killing her and you are not going to change her mind at this late date.
Walt
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