- Search CSN:
- Members: Login to search all areas
- Not a member? Click here to search public areas
Update on Husband's Uncle
 |
Aug 03, 2011 - 12:19 am
Hi there. I want to thank those of you who replied to my original post "Questions for you". My husband's uncle met with his oncologist today to go over the latest pathology. It has been determined that his cancer is not HL or NHL, or any of the other subtypes of Lymphoma. The oncologist is at a loss. On the PET Scan it presents like HL or NHL. He definitely has cancer throughout his entire lymph system with various areas of swelling. However, they (his doctors, pathologist, etc.) have not been able to identify the cancer cells. They are calling them "generic cancer cells". The primary source is unknown. All they know for certain is he is Stage 4 with cancer throughout his lymph system. They want to begin chemo ASAP, but he (my hubby's uncle)wants to explore additional medical opinions in Washington State and California. We all live in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Even though he has the best of the best here on the home front for oncologists and has sought 2nd and 3rd opinions from two other oncologists here, who happen to agree with oncologist #1. Has anyone here heard of such a case? Cancer in the lymphatic system of unknown primary that is neither HL or NHL? I look forward to hearing from you. |
Joined: Jul 2010
Hi,
That must be very frustrating for your husbands uncle not being able to pin point the root of his cancer. I read where 2 to 4% of all cancer patients deal with this same problem. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle Washington may be a good place for your husbands uncle to go. It's one of the finest cancer centers in the Pacific Northwest and fairly close from Vancouver B.C. I personally have not known anyone in this situation, but maybe someone else in the group will be able to help out. Let us know how his search for additional medical opinions goes. Best wishes...Sue
(FNHL-2-3A-6/10)
Joined: Feb 2011
Ironically the Hutchinson Center is just where he was today. He had all of his medical info sent down ahead of today's meeting with a panel of oncologists who apparently have an 80% success rate in determining the primary cancer in patients diagnosed with CUP (cancer of unknown primary). Unfortunately, my husband's uncle was told by the panel that although they can identify 80% of cases brought to them, my husband's uncle falls in the 20% of cases they cannot identify.
So, he and his wife drove home to Vancouver, BC today feeling devastated and hopeless. His entire lymphatic system is infiltrated with cancer. He's stage 4. He's also beginning to feel enlarged lymph nodes in other areas of his body. The only treatment option now is chemo and it will be palliative.
I cried so much when I heard the news this evening. My mother in law, his sister, is devastated, a complete emotional mess. She is a breast cancer survivor, and her eldest son, my brother-in-law, has been battling chronic lymphocytic leukemia for the last 12 years and has undergone three BMT's (bone marrow transplants) and all the treatments that go along with that. Her mother-in-law died two year