I don’t usually go to this part of the forum as I only had rads, but I have to go next week with my widowed Mum to see her onc and I need some help with getting the right questions together. She was diagnosed at 84 with a grade 3 lump and had an mx. It was ER neg. 3 months later she felt lumps in her armpit and had clearance followed by rads. I suspect they didn’t do the nodes first time round as it would have been too much for her - she was in hospital for nearly a week on both occasions. She now has a lesion on her skin near the mx scar and lumps in her neck. Yesterday she was told they were both cancer and the only treatment is chemo. I didn’t go with her because I didn’t feel up to it mentally so soon after my own dx last year and with current on-going investigations for something completely different, but I will go with her next week as she has a big decision to make. I tried to explain the difference between a regional recurrance and secondaries but I’m not sure she took it in, so I’m having to assume it is a regional recurrance. Her surgeon told her chemo could be given orally, and without it the cancer would spread.
So what I’m trying to find out is what chemo she is likely to be offered, what the timescale for treatment would be and what sort of SE’s she could expect so I can be prepared to help her in her discussion.
Foxy
Bumping this up for replies?
I don’t know the answer to your questions but wondered if you should post in the ‘secondaries’ thread - not because I am saying she has secondaries but because there are ladies there who have their chemo orally and might be able to help you.
Good luck.
It is likely to be capeticabine, my Mum who was 86 had it for Non hodgkins lymphoma, and its widely used for sec breast cancer, given in pill form. It causes awful mouth ulcers, very sore hands and feet. My mum could not eat because of side effects and quickly deteriorated. The chemo worked but the dying cancer cells upset her bodies balance, flooding it with phosphates and that is what killed her, last nov. My Dad, 85, has stage 4 lung cancer and decided to have no treatment after seeing what happened to Mum. I did some research and it sems that often, sadly, elderly people tolerate any type of chemo badly. I suppose it depends on how much her life may be extended, but if side effect make quality of life rubbish??? Hope this isnt too depressing, hope it helps a bit. Kim x
What a very demanding situation for you. In terms of chemo in tablets, cyclophosphamide is also available to swallow. Macmillan has a very good guide to all chemos and side effects. There is an interesting article in the BMJ including a discussion on geriatric oncology you may find helpful.
http://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/v105/n2/full/bjc2011234a.html
Thanks so much Kim and Tina for your help. I’m sorry your Mum suffered so much Kim, and that your Dad has had to face such a decision.
If it’s capeticabine I guess one of the important questions will be how many cycles she has to have. She may be able to cope with a finite number but I would be concerned if it was a long term treatment. She already has senile pruritis so any further problems with her skin would be an issue. Do you know if capeticabine shrinks the tumour or just prevents it spreading? They are pressing on her brachial nerve and causing quite a bit of pain.
Tina, I found the article very interesting. I’m 62 myself so almost in the “elderly” category although I’m still 45 in my head!