Reocurrence

Need Advice
Need Advice Member Posts: 6
edited March 2014 in Uterine/Endometrial Cancer #1
I been browsing this board for a while since my mother has UPSC Stage IIIC. She Had a hysterectomy last June 2009. Soon after she was given radiation and chemo (carbo/taxol) since they found 1 pelvic lymph node positive of cancer. She finished Chemo treatment Feb. 2010. She was feeling well until she had shortness of breath. We took her to the hospital and they found out she had pnuemonia, but they also found nodules in her lungs and kidney.The hospital told us the cancer has spread. We then went to her Gyn/onco who advised us she woukd need chemo again. But today we saw the chemo oncolgist and told us chemo might not help her. My sister and I insisted she needs chemo, since it was recommended by her gyno/ocono. Her chemo ocnologist then scheduled her to sat chemo next wednesday.

Are we doing the right thing? or what do you ladies recommend we do? Also, is there any further test we should do?

Also, her ca 125 last 2 weeks was at 10. Last month she had an abdominal ct scan that was clear with one cyst in her kiddney. She also had a chest x ray last three weeks that was also clear.

Sorry for asking to many questions, but we're scared and looking for some advice.

Comments

  • Ro10
    Ro10 Member Posts: 1,561 Member
    #2
    Sorry to hear about your Mother
    What kind of test did your Mother have? Was it a CAT scan or A PET scan. How big are the nodules in the lung, and is the cyst in her kidney what they are treating. Is it a cyst or a tumor? A PET scan would probably give more definite information if the areas are cancer, or something else. Can these areas be biopsied? It seems strange the the CT scan a month ago was clear, as was the chest x-ray. The CA 125 is not always a good marker for some.

    Good luck with your decisions. They are tough ones to make. In peace and caring.
  • california_artist
    california_artist Member Posts: 816 Member
    #3
    A PET will or can show
    A PET will or can show infection as metabolic activity even though it is not in fact cancer. You might consider holding off for a bit. Maybe try to give her a chance to recover from the pneumonia, or was that later assessed as a met. Sorry, confused a bit here.
  • Need Advice
    Need Advice Member Posts: 6
    #4
    california_artist said:

    A PET will or can show
    A PET will or can show infection as metabolic activity even though it is not in fact cancer. You might consider holding off for a bit. Maybe try to give her a chance to recover from the pneumonia, or was that later assessed as a met. Sorry, confused a bit here.

    My mom only had a ct scan
    My mom only had a ct scan not pet scan. The doctor told my mother she had a cyst, but not to worry about it. The hospital doctor told us the multiple nodules were a nickle size to a quarter. It just seems weird the x-rays done three weeks ago didn't show them. She was complaing of shortness of breath two weeks ago, but we thought it was being caused by a low hemoglobin. On May 24 she had a blood transfussion, but countinued with shortness of breath. So we decided to take her to the hospital this past weekend(May 28). There she was diagmosed with pnuemonia along with nodules to her lungs and kidney. We dont know how she got pnuemonia.

    Thanks very much for your replies!
  • Need Advice
    Need Advice Member Posts: 6
    #5
    california_artist said:

    A PET will or can show
    A PET will or can show infection as metabolic activity even though it is not in fact cancer. You might consider holding off for a bit. Maybe try to give her a chance to recover from the pneumonia, or was that later assessed as a met. Sorry, confused a bit here.

    My mom only had a ct scan
    My mom only had a ct scan not pet scan. The doctor told my mother she had a cyst, but not to worry about it. The hospital doctor told us the multiple nodules were a nickle size to a quarter. It just seems weird the x-rays done three weeks ago didn't show them. She was complaing of shortness of breath two weeks ago, but we thought it was being caused by a low hemoglobin. On May 24 she had a blood transfussion, but countinued with shortness of breath. So we decided to take her to the hospital this past weekend(May 28). There she was diagmosed with pnuemonia along with nodules to her lungs and kidney. We dont know how she got pnuemonia.

    Thanks very much for your replies!
  • Cindy Bear
    Cindy Bear Member Posts: 569
    #6
    Need Advice said:

    My mom only had a ct scan
    My mom only had a ct scan not pet scan. The doctor told my mother she had a cyst, but not to worry about it. The hospital doctor told us the multiple nodules were a nickle size to a quarter. It just seems weird the x-rays done three weeks ago didn't show them. She was complaing of shortness of breath two weeks ago, but we thought it was being caused by a low hemoglobin. On May 24 she had a blood transfussion, but countinued with shortness of breath. So we decided to take her to the hospital this past weekend(May 28). There she was diagmosed with pnuemonia along with nodules to her lungs and kidney. We dont know how she got pnuemonia.

    Thanks very much for your replies!

    Hi
    Hello. I am sorry to hear about your mom and wish you all peace and strength and courage at this difficult time .I wasn't going to comment but your remark about pneumonia is interesting. My mother, (passed away from Stage IV uterine cancer last year, 4 months after official diag.) was diag. with walking pneumonia just after we found out she had a malignancy but before we knew any staging. This was a woman who had never been seriously ill a day in her life, no lung issues, no smoking, rarely had a cold that I can remember, got a flu shot every year. A co-worker's husband (early 50's) passed away from lung cancer a few years ago. A year or so before he was diag. he was hospitalized with pneumonia for almost 2 wks. I suspect the pneumonia is just a sign that the immune system is impaired. I am just wondering how many seemingly healthy people had pneumonia shortly before diagnosis. Maybe it's a red flag.
  • daisy366
    daisy366 Member Posts: 1,458 Member
    #7
    Cindy Bear said:

    Hi
    Hello. I am sorry to hear about your mom and wish you all peace and strength and courage at this difficult time .I wasn't going to comment but your remark about pneumonia is interesting. My mother, (passed away from Stage IV uterine cancer last year, 4 months after official diag.) was diag. with walking pneumonia just after we found out she had a malignancy but before we knew any staging. This was a woman who had never been seriously ill a day in her life, no lung issues, no smoking, rarely had a cold that I can remember, got a flu shot every year. A co-worker's husband (early 50's) passed away from lung cancer a few years ago. A year or so before he was diag. he was hospitalized with pneumonia for almost 2 wks. I suspect the pneumonia is just a sign that the immune system is impaired. I am just wondering how many seemingly healthy people had pneumonia shortly before diagnosis. Maybe it's a red flag.

    chemo or not?
    It seems that chemo is being given without alot of info about the nodules. When my PET showed a lymph node that was suspicious, My doc told me that it would be biopsied first. We ended up removing it and now are just "waiting and watching" rather than jumping into more chemo.

    These decisions are hard. Can the nodules be biopsied?

    Blessings to you. Mary Ann
  • Need Advice
    Need Advice Member Posts: 6
    #8
    daisy366 said:

    chemo or not?
    It seems that chemo is being given without alot of info about the nodules. When my PET showed a lymph node that was suspicious, My doc told me that it would be biopsied first. We ended up removing it and now are just "waiting and watching" rather than jumping into more chemo.

    These decisions are hard. Can the nodules be biopsied?

    Blessings to you. Mary Ann

    The chemo doctor said he was
    The chemo doctor said he was going to biobsy them. So will see what happens.
  • Need Advice
    Need Advice Member Posts: 6
    #9
    Need Advice said:

    The chemo doctor said he was
    The chemo doctor said he was going to biobsy them. So will see what happens.

    Update on my mother. Last
    Update on my mother. Last week (june 9) she started on chemo without any biobsy on the nodules. She is on Taxol, cisplatin, and Adriamycin once every three weeks. Today she is doing better, she actually went out shopping with her sisters.

    Has anybody had any experience with these chemo combonations? Also, could a CAT Scan show cancer mets?

    God Bless to you all!
  • Ro10
    Ro10 Member Posts: 1,561 Member
    #10
    Need Advice said:

    Update on my mother. Last
    Update on my mother. Last week (june 9) she started on chemo without any biobsy on the nodules. She is on Taxol, cisplatin, and Adriamycin once every three weeks. Today she is doing better, she actually went out shopping with her sisters.

    Has anybody had any experience with these chemo combonations? Also, could a CAT Scan show cancer mets?

    God Bless to you all!

    My doctor talked about this combination
    I am having a "slow recurrence" as the doctors call it. My CA 125 is rising, but CAT scans are negative. The doctor talked about using Adriamycin with the Taxol/Carbo combination when treatment is needed again. Adriamycin is in the same family as Doxil, but insurance companies will not always approve the Doxil for UPSC. However there are several ladies who are on the doxil due to recurrence. I am not sure if anyone is currently getting Adriamycin.

    I am glad your mother is feeling better. Hope all continues to go well for her. In peace and caring.

Discussion Boards