posted
Two days ago, my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer in the pancreas.
However, the doctors said specifically that it was not pancreatic cancer, just cancer in the pancreas. That's as far as he went.
Now, my family has no training in this field, and we have no idea what the doctor was talking about (note that we heard this from my uncle, who heard it from my grandma, who heard it from the doctor).
What exactly would he mean by this? And what would the life expectancy likely be for someone with non-pancreatic cancer in the pancreas?
You guys need more information. Pancreatic cancer is a very bad cancer. Most pancreatic cancers are pretty far advanced when they get discovered, and surgical removal and cure is usually impossible.
If she doesn't have pancreatic cancer, then she has metastatic cancer, meaning cancer in the pancreas which originated someplace else and spread to the pancreas. So that her prognosis will depend on where else the cancer is, and what kind it is. Is it lots of other places? Is it in the liver? What part of the pancreas is it in? What kind of cancer is it? Did they do a biopsy? See, I can't tell you anything about what this means to her health without more information. What sort of doctor is this? A family doc? A cancer doc? What did he say the next step is?
Posts: 1990 | Registered: Feb 2001
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My grandmother is in New Hampshire, which is part of the reason I'm stressing. As I said, I heard none of this directly. I was told by my mother, who was told by my uncle, who was told by his mom (my grandma), who was told by her doctor. I was never close to her, but my mom is, understandably, and depending on my grandma's life expectancy, I may be living in NH for a few years.
The only answers I know of the questions you asked are: It's not in the liver, I doubt they've done a biopsy yet, and I assume this is a family doc. She's been having mini-strokes for as long as I can remember, and, in all likelihood, expected that she would die that way. No attention had been payed to the possibility of cancer.
posted
Well, the only way they'll know at this point that it isn't pancreatic cancer is if he knows of some other spot in the body with cancer already. Like, maybe, another spot in the body with diagnosed cancer so that he already knows where it came from. Or something on CT scan that suggests a primary tumor somewhere. Otherwise how would he know it isn't pancreatic cancer spreading outward, rather than non-pancreatic cancer spreading to the pancreas?
You guys need more information. Either your grandma understood very little of what happened at that visit, or she blocked it out from the shock, or your family isn't getting the whole story. If you find out what the next step is, that'll help. And someone ought to go with your grandma to the next appointment. The more ears that hear the doctor's words, and the more questions that get asked, the better.
posted
Update: It has spread to the lymph and liver, and they have done a biopsy. It's malignant. She's going to start chimotherapy (sp?) soon.
I'm sure she would object to anybody going with her to the doctor. She's not a very open person, especially not to her relatives on the other side of the country. Our information is only the result of my uncle prying for a week.
She's not expected to live to see the winter. Though awful, it means that we likely won't have to move. If these predictions are true, at most my mother will leave for a wake to give her farewells and help comfort the rest of the relatives.
posted
Goat, I'm sorry you are going through this difficult time. You will be first in my thoughts today.
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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posted
((Da_Goat)) my sympathies and prayers to you and your family...
one question, and I'm sorry if this seems tacky, because I'm certainly not meaning it that way..... but I have always wondered in cases of pancreatic cancer, because it is known to be fatal, and usually short life expectancies are given (as Da_Goat says above that she is not expected to make it to winter)... then why do they go ahead and do chemotherapy? What good does putting the patient through chemotherapy do? How does it help their quality of life?
This is a genuine question for those in the medical field.
posted
In the case of someone I knew who had pancreatic cancer 12 years ago, it meant he made it 8 months instead of 2. I'm sure his wife and small children appreciated the extra time with him.
(((((Da Goat))))) I'm so sorry!
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
Well, she's gone. My mom's taking it astoundingly well, probably due in large to the fact that she works in a nursing home. Yesterday, my uncle called her telling her that her mom's toes were black. She knew from experience at her work that that usually means a few hours - a day at the most - so she got a lot of preemptive crying done.
I'm expecting her to break down and cry for hours later tonight, but 'til then, we're still going to church. Might be going out for icecream too.
posted
(((Goat))) I missed this thread the first time and I wasn't checking dates, so I was shocked that she was gone at first.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
I empathize. Particularly with the part about the cancer being non-pancreatic while still being in the pancreas. That's kind of a weird one when you have to explain the person's condition to other people. "Yes, he has cancer in his lung... but it's not LUNG cancer, it's KIDNEY cancer."
Anyway. Take care, dude. I feel for you.
Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
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posted
{{{{{Goat and family}}}}} I'm truly sorry for your loss. If there's anything I can do, please let me know.
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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