Scared for my dad. Is there any hope?

antcnigro

I am a 26 year old male and I am the 5th child of 8 kids. My father is 61 years old and still smokes. He has survived major cardiac issues throughout the years and is living with a pacemaker and a difibrilator.

On 7-28-09 he was rushed to the ER with stomach pains. He survived a high risk surgery on a perforated bowel. He was told he has Stage IV metastatic lung cancer that has spread to his abdominal area and caused the perforation. He met with an oncologist in the middle of September and found out that he cannot start chemo since his stomach scar has not healed completely. He also found out that it has spread to his lower back. The doctor recommended him to get started with the radiation process and meet with a radiologist. This doctor told dad(last week) that he has it in his brain and will maybe live to see past 4 months without treatments or 6-8 months with treatment. Dealing with the sickly side affects under treatment and maybe adding some time or living out "4 months" sounds like an easy decision. Today(10-12-09) him and my mom found out the cancer has already caused his brain to bleed and could happen again anytime. The heart doctor today recommended against radiation with his heart condition and is at high risk of a heart attack. The radiation doctor today was for it and said if it bleeds again he will die. Are these the only choices he has to make a decision on? Why do I hear of cases where people make it through treatments with little to no problem? If my dad's heart can make it through what it has made it through why is radiation risky?

sue Siwek

i am so sorry for you and
i am so sorry for you and your family. it is hard for anyone on this site to give you and absolute answer to you questions because everyone responds to illness and cancer in particular, differently. your father has a secondary brain cancer which means it is probably the result of his lung cancer. are you going to a first rate hospital? if you aren't find one by googling. ask for the best cancer hospital in your state and go for a second opinion. bleeding in the brain indicates maybe a stroke, not a medical person but have cared for a husband with brain cancer and he has lasted 10 yrs. again that is my husband everyone is different. in the end it really is up to your father to decide what he is willing to do you can only do the research and share it. good luck.

marie_childress

sue Siwek said:

i am so sorry for you and
i am so sorry for you and your family. it is hard for anyone on this site to give you and absolute answer to you questions because everyone responds to illness and cancer in particular, differently. your father has a secondary brain cancer which means it is probably the result of his lung cancer. are you going to a first rate hospital? if you aren't find one by googling. ask for the best cancer hospital in your state and go for a second opinion. bleeding in the brain indicates maybe a stroke, not a medical person but have cared for a husband with brain cancer and he has lasted 10 yrs. again that is my husband everyone is different. in the end it really is up to your father to decide what he is willing to do you can only do the research and share it. good luck.

Brain cancer for 10 years
Dear Sue,

May I ask your husbands stage? and the type of brain cancer?

Does he have any other type of cancers?

Thank you...

sue Siwek

marie_childress said:

Brain cancer for 10 years
Dear Sue,

May I ask your husbands stage? and the type of brain cancer?

Does he have any other type of cancers?

Thank you...

he had an anaplastic
he had an anaplastic astrocytoma grade 3, inoperable located near the thalmus. he is cancer free at this time. he has had no other cancers but, shortly after being diagnosed with brain cancer was diagnosed with parkinson's as well. the doctors assure us that the two diseases were not caused by one another. he is disabled but from parkinson't not brain cancer. the cancer did cause some numbness on one side of his body and because of the location his vision was also affected. only in the last 5 years has he been confined to the house do to balance and gait problems caused by the parkinson's. from 2000 until 2005 he played golf and walk a few miles each day.

andyux

other options
There is a small pool of patients that qualify for Visualase treatment, specially in cases where there has been previous radiation and or surgery in the brain. But it depends on many factors. Check out www.visualaseinc.com and contact them if you feel your dad could be a candidate for the procedure. They have helped many people.