Re: my neighbor's cancer
From: J (plaid_at_example.com)
Date: 03/17/05
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Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 11:40:29 -0500
Jeff wrote:
> "Sharon and Mike" <registered2705@netlimit.com> wrote in message
> >I am new here, but thought maybe someone could answer a question.
> >
> > I have a neighbor, who has just been diagnosed with liver cancer. She
> > didn't even know she had cancer, and for a year she would have some back
> > pain, not knowing what it was. So she was prescribed pain killers, and no
> > doctor ever went any further with it. It just so happened that she went
> > with her husband, who is in remission from throat cancer, to his doctor
> > and told him of her pain. She asked him if he would recommend someone for
> > her, and he did.
> >
> > So she found out she had cancer cells in her liver, and surrounding lymph
> > nodes. They believe it started in her ovaries. But she kept up a normal
> > life for over a year, worked full time, and wasn't bothered by anything
> > much but some back pain, which was the cancer.
>
> Actually, the back pain could have been something else, like sore muscles.
http://www.oncologychannel.com/ovariancancer/symptoms.shtml
Signs and Symptoms
Despite an increased awareness of ovarian cancer in the news and other media,
the ability to detect this disease is poor, and many women are not diagnosed
until the disease is advanced. Ovarian cancer ordinarily produces no distinctive
symptoms, and most tumors metastasize, or spread, to other abdominal organs
before being diagnosed. Metastasis can give rise to ascites, a build-up of fluid
in the abdomen that usually causes abdominal swelling. Such swelling may be the
only indication that something is wrong, and it is the most common reason most
patient visit their doctor.
Other vague, but sometimes lingering symptoms of ovarian cancer include the
following:
* Abdominal/pelvic discomfort or pressure
* Back or leg pain
* Bloating
* Changes in bowel function or urinary frequency
* Fatigue
* Gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g., gas, long-term stomach pain, indigestion)
* Malnourished or wasted appearance
* Nausea or loss of appetite
* Unusual vaginal bleeding
> It sounds like she has stage IV ovarian cancer (not liver cancer).
She already posted that.
> Ovarian cancer is hard to diagnose. Because the ovaries are so deep and the
> cancer can spread so easily, women often go a long time without knowing
> something is really wrong.
>
>
> It sounds like she has a 1 in 10 chance of being around in 10 years.
http://www.oncologychannel.com/ovariancancer/types.shtml
Germ cell type is curable.
http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=5449
Stage 3
As you might expect, the survival statistics fall with these more advanced
stages of ovarian cancer. Between 3 and 7 out of every 20 women diagnosed with
stage 3 ovarian cancer (15 - 35%) will live at least 5 years after their
diagnosis. There is a wide range because the figures vary depending on how far
the cancer has spread into the upper abdomen.
Stage 4
Understandably, the survival statistics are lower for stage 4 ovarian cancers
than they are for stage 3. The statistics for stage 4 vary quite a bit between
reports. This is because this stage covers a lot of different situations. It
means the cancer has spread, but it will have different effects depending on
where it has spread. Between 1 in 20 (5%) and 1 in 7 (14%) women with stage 4
ovarian cancer will live for at least 5 years. Doctors generally think a patient
is doing well if they are alive 2 years after being diagnosed with ovarian
cancer that has spread.
Other factors affecting prognosis
There are 2 other factors that can affect your prognosis, apart from the stage
of your cancer
* The grade
* How well you are overall
The cells are graded according to how like or unlike normal cells they are when
looked at under a microscope. There are 4 groups according to the size and
appearance of the control centre (nucleus) of the cancer cells. These 4 groups
are called grades 1 to 4. Grade 1 cancer cells are the most similar to normal
cells. Grade 4 are most unlike normal cells. Generally speaking, the higher the
grade, the more quickly the cancer is likely to grow.
Doctors also have a way of grading how well you are. They call this your
‘performance status’. You may see this written PS. A score of 0 means you are
completely able to look after yourself. A score of 1 means you can do most
things for yourself, but need some help. The scores continue to go up, depending
on how much help you need. This is relevant to survival because overall, the
fitter people are, the better able they are to withstand their cancer and
treatment.
> Here is a list of 18 excellent hospitals:
> http://www.aarpmagazine.org/health/Articles/a2003-01-17-cancerhospitals.html
>
Geography and finances matter
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/99/105323.htm
Some, if not all, the hospitals listed there, treat cancer. Many times the best
treatment is right in the person's same neighborhood.
If she wants a second opinion, she could send out her biopsy sample to another
(one of your) hospital to make sure they've typed and graded it properly.
J
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