My dad has a glioblastoma multiforme stage four.... Some advice please!!!!!

Timelines
Kayla,
You need to remember there are no real timelines with brain tumors or treatments. Treatments have advanced in this area, to where patients are outliving the old timelines by years. Your father is doing the right thing, by living his life to the fullest of his ability- just enjoy each memory
making moment.

4theloveofmysis said:

gmb4
Good news it didnt grow. Sometimes that first MRI after treatment starts, is a little confusing because of swelling etc. As for the 3 months, I believe that is with out treatment. As the person before said every tumor is different. No two people are the same. I remember in the beginning looking at everyone that has the same tumor in the same spot as my sister and going on that. But no two were the same.
Eating well,exercising, staying clear of infections and a positive additude are the things that come to mind.
Im sorry that you are on this road, it is a ruff one...Sometimes I thing not knowing to much is better. Im a nurse and I knew more than I wanted to.
My sisters was inoperable we did radiation, temador and avastin.
Brenda

Stable tumor is a good news!
Your dad is lucky to have a caring daughter like you. I lost my husband this July. He had less aggressive cancer and at the end we were told it became aggressive, or they didn't care about the grade at that time. As I look back, I felt like the oncologists didn't preapre me enough,My husand had a brain bleed as the side effect of Avastin chemo and I don't remember I was told at any time that brain bleed was a possibilty.I was researching and asking all kind of questions to the doctors. So, be on top of everything. My advice from my own experience is that the time is precious and do things to make your dad and mom happy and collect good memories for yourself. May God bless you many years with your dad, but intentionally making them to be good years is a good thing to do.I am pasting couple of websites:
http://www.savvypatients.com/braincancer.htm
http://www.abta.org/

In braintumor world, each person responds to the treatment differently. As caregiver, the only thing we can do is to learn about it as much as possible, get the best oncologist from a well known clinic, get the best treatment, encourage and support our loved one to live to the fullest with a positive attitude.
Enjoy the good news today with your parents,Let God handle tomorrow's worries.
Take Care!
Raani

Spiely said:

Stage VI Glioblastoma Right Frontal Lobe Tumors (2)
My beautiful husband of only 2 years had what we thought was 2 strokes but they turned out to be seizures. This lead to CAT scans and MRI and that road has landed us with the horrific diagnosis of Stage IV Glioblastoma Cancer. There are two tumors (one being called a satallite tumor) and it is inoperatable.

I also feel the doctors aren't being 100% upfront but do agree that every tumor grows differently and they have no idea where it will strike next. Our best informant has been our Brain Tumor Navigation nurse (who ever knew these existed before you deal with this) and she has been the best, most upfront so far.

They give my husband less than a year with agressive chemo and radiation which would most likely leave him blink and deaf. He's chosen to go for an alternative theory of a plant based diet whos theory is to starve the tumors of sugar which it seems they need to thrive.

I have my doubts with both scenarios and my highest hopes on the diet. It's all just horribly sad, I try to make each day so very special and will support and love him in his journey.

I wish the best for all of you as I do my husband!! Godspeed to us all on this journey I wish for no one to have to take!!

GBM
My heart goes out to all suffers of GBM and their families. My husband was diagnosed on 03/10/2012. We've undergone 6 weeks of radiation and are now on our fourth cycle of chemo (Temodar). To me, this is a living nightmare. I've lost 30+ pounds and wake up with a feeling of dread in my chest. I have 3 children, a son 16, another son 13, and a daughter 11. They are convinced that we will receive a miracle and that my husband will make it. I'm taking the positive route, but some days it is very hard.

Enjoy the time you have and let's all pray for each other for a miracle. I pray to God everyday and that gives me strength.

Michelle

Shmay27 said:

thanks everyone!
we have now started the second round of chemo in conjunction with lithium and avastin. we recently saw the epilepsy doctor who is taking him off of one of the two seizure medications but this round seems to be hitting him way worse. he has no appetite, very nauseous, very weak, very poor speech and memory. i understand that during chemo things get worse but it seems like he went from 80% to 10% or less which is way worse then the first round with chemo, radiation, and avastin. my father is having a very difficult time dealing with his situation and now is becoming insanely negative and looking up info on hospice and what doctors believe in somehow legally euthanizing him at some point. it is terribly difficult to stay positive when this is all that he will speak about right now when we still have a lot of fight to fight with it only being our second round of chemo. so he is considering stopping treatment now which i no is his decision and only his but it is still very frustrating thinking that there is still so much we can do and y give up now. i just don't no how to really help anymore and I'm there as much as i can be helping my father as well as my mother and helping keeping my 14 year old sisters life as normal as possible. i just don't no how to help more. Im very grateful for everyones responses and advice!! thank you!

Wed, 09/12/2012 -
Wed, 09/12/2012 - 12:34pm
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http://www.ehow.com/facts_5938480_glioblastoma-multiforme-stage-prognosis.html

Treatment

Doctors consider chemotherapy only marginally effective, although new treatments are developed all the time. Radiation after surgery appears to extend survival a few months, says Cancer Monthly.

Factors

Better outcomes are possible if surgery successfully removed most or all of the tumor. Age is also a factor, says Merck.com, as patients under 45 are more likely to survive.

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Survival

Glioblastoma generally has a very poor prognosis, with the average patient surviving just one year after diagnosis, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

Potential

While the diagnosis of glioblastoma multiforme is dismal, some patients do survive three or more years, says the ASCO, with research and newer methods of treatment providing hope for longer survival rates.

Newer Therapies