Spots on lungs & liver on CT scan

lady_loves_cats
lady_loves_cats Member Posts: 1
in Lung Cancer #1

I am struggling with an issue that I need some advice on.  I have an elderly friend who recently has recently been in the hospital for some signs of dementia and an infection in her leg.  During her hospital stay she blacked out so the doctor ordered some test to be run one of  which was a CT scan.   The Dr. said that the CT scan showed a spot on one lung and several smaller spots on the other lung and small spots on the liver.  The Dr. said that the spots where highly suspicious of being cancer.  This lady is 79 years old and has had some signs of dementia for the last three years but has had a pretty rapid  decline in her mental state since the end of February.  She is now in a nursing home because she is unable to live by herself.  She does not know about the spots and after speaking with her regular doctor and the doctor at the nursing home I am trying to decide should she be sent for more test to see what the spots are.  The issue is if she does have more test and finds that it is cancer could she tolerate the treatment and both doctors have told me that they don’t think that her health is good enough to within stand what treatment would do, not to mention that anything out of routine adds to her confusion.  Not sure what to do.

Comments

  • dennycee
    dennycee Member Posts: 857 Member
    #2
    This happened in my extended family

    And similar to what happened to a patient where I work.  My cousins mom-in-law was being treated for Alzheimer's and just starting to manifest symptoms during the daylight hours.  They took her to the hospital suspecting pneumonia and learned it was small cell cancer-yes on the biopsy.  The tumor board recommendation was no treatment because dying of lung cancer was more humane than dying of Alzheimer's. 

    At work we do breast cancer screening and diagnpatients Alzheimer's patient was found to have breast cancer.  Same decision on treatment plan.  More humane to let cancer run its course and deal with pain as it comes up.  

    Hope this helps with a very tough decision. 

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