I have a dear family member who went to the doctor because of a fall - turned out she fractured her pelvis - but in the course of investigating it, the doctor discovered lesions in the bones pretty much all over her body. Turns out she has a level 1 tumor in her breast and that the lesions in her bones are also breast cancer. For some reason, the doctors are NOT giving her a death sentence, but I have always heard that when a cancer spreads to the bones or another organ, then there is pretty much no hope. So, is there actually hope now?
Cancer - 7 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
You'd need to ask doctor for prognosis. Most likely the end is near. This is a time when people help each other, I've learned. If she's at home, someone should always be there in case she needs transportation or someone around the house if she needs daily assistance or needs to put her affairs in order or needs to be taken to the hospital.
2 :
where there is life there is hope, but you are right when it has spread it is a matter of time. mine has spread to my uterus and liver, i was given 3 to 4 months 6 months later i am still here, i was told because i asked i know someone whose husband knows but she doesn`t. were not doctors and don`t know the full story. is she an older family,good luck to her x
3 :
Breast cancer that has spread to the bone is not curable and can be quite painful to live with, but it is not an immediate death sentence now because of new treatments that are available. Folks in the USA might recall that John Edwards' wife, Elizabeth, is currently living with bone metastisis from breast cancer.
4 :
The "level 1 tumor" makes no sense. If there is breast cancer metastatic to bones, it is a stage IV breast cancer. We do not have a cure for this, but sometimes this disease can be controlled for many months or even a few years with hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, and palliative radiation therapy. We do not cure diabetes or high blood pressure, but we can control these diseases for a time with medical treatments. There is no reason for her doctors to "give her a death sentence" -especially since we don't know whether she will respond to simple oral hormonal agents. Is this an estrogen receptor positive or negative breast cancer? We don't have this information, but her doctors do. I always say this - we doctors do not "give " people amounts of time to live. It is not for us to decide that. We can only quote statistics based on the experiences of other people in similar situation - none of which will be exactly like the person concerned. Each person is special and different, and doctors cannot predict the future of anyone perfectly. I preferred not to make these guesses, but people usually push for some kind of guess. Interesting question - If you had an envelope containing the information about when exactly you were going to die, would you open it - - knowing you could do nothing to change it? I would tear it up and throw it away. Most of us don't want to give up all hope. There is hope for a good response in this situation and some good quality time.
5 :
My mom has stage IIIa breast cancer... so I have (like I am sure you have) done TONS of research on this type of cancer... and from what I have read... once the cancer spreads to another location it is then stage 4 cancer... Stage 1 breast cancer would mean that the cancer was VERY small in size and localized only in her breast and NOT in her lymphnodes... If cancer goes to the lymphnodes (located under the armpit) it will allow the cancer to spread. Lymphnodes try to filter the blood. My mom had 8 lymphnodes infected w/ cancer so that means little cancer cells are traveling all through her body... the cancer looks for somewhere else to settle and grow. In your friends case it looks like they traveled through the lymphnodes and have had time to settle and grow in her bones. Now I say time because for most people it takes a couple years just for the little lump to form and then a year or two for it to get in the lymphnodes etc... PLEASE talk to her doctor... or to her and ask about the lymphnodes... A friend of mines father has bone cancer and has been living for about 8 years now. He is in some pain but they have given him some meds and it helps w/ the pain. Cancer is a long hard battle. No doctor can tell you if it is a "death sentence" Chemo makes people weak and everyone has different reactions to it. Here is a website that shows you HOW they stage breast cancer
6 :
Once the cancer has reached the bones it is ususally incurable, maybe they are trying chemo or radiation first..
7 :
Breast cancer with bone mets is liveable... my mom's doctor told us that it is painful but it will not kill her. Your mom will have to have many scans done though to make sure it isn't going elsewhere. As long as it stays in her bones she is good
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