My grabdfather is 86 years old and has had skin cancer for a few years. He has recently had surgery to remove 2 basil cell carcinomas and just had one of those surgerys where they go in with ink and they test to see which lymph nodes the cancer has metastasized to. They removed 3 lymph nodes and then stopped. (they went in on his forhead) The doctors said that he can either go back in and continue removing lymph nodes, or he can go for another round of the drug, interferon. The other option that we're entertaining is if he doesn't opt for any of the choices, and just lets it go. He's a strong man, who walks on his own...does everything for himself. However, the past few surgeries he's had have taken him a while to recover from. What do you suggest we do? Does anyone know the prognosis of stage 3 melenoma, if he were to not treat it at all? I'm interested in any advice, or comments about the situation. Again he's 86 years old, soon to be 87. Thanks!
2006-06-13 13:08:09 · 8 answers · asked by Nursing student 1 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Cancer
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2006-06-13 14:17:04 · answer #1 · answered by Know it all 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm guessing they were removing the lymph nodes to see if the melanoma had spread to the nodes? Basal cells are almost always cured with simple excision. Really the decision is up to your grandfather. If he decides on no treatment, he won't pass away quickly and painlessly. It might take a very rough year or longer to pass away. Doing interferon is no fun but neither is dying from melanoma. The choice is up to your grandad, assuming he still makes his own health decisions. In my experience many old people are much tougher than we younger folks give them credit for being.
2006-06-13 16:07:46 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Stage 3 is better than stage 4.
The question about what to do is one that only your grandfather can answer. Does he want to continue with drug therapies and their side-effects. (There are many trials investigating drugs other than interferon and IL2. I believe that Nexavar was approved for treating Melanoma, but it only has a stalling effect.)
Does your grandfather mind having the surgeries to remove each successive lymph node? That might be one way to stall the disease, but only if he can stand more surgery/surgeries.
What does his doctor suggest? Have you spoken with another oncologist to get a second opinion?
Good luck. It is a tough prospect to face.
2006-06-13 14:19:35 · answer #3 · answered by Taram 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your grandfather has to answer this, what does he want? The skin cancers can spread to lymph nodes but that doesn't mean full lymphoma. He should have the chemo/interferon. Stage 3 will progress to higher stages and spreading more and more until death so he needs to treat it now. Age doesn't matter, you could be 20 and have cancer and treat and live or die, let him decide.
2006-06-13 16:42:34 · answer #4 · answered by Tina of Lymphland.com 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I assume your loved one has been diagnosed with multiple melenoma. Or could he have lymphoma? With lymphoma, one may opt to keep him comfy and simply treat the symptoms. As for melanoma, there is a treatment called IL2. IL meaning Interleukin. Interleukin has been proven to control and/or cure melanoma in appx 8% of the patients.
By no means am I an expert, but have taken care of these type patients. Check with the Cancer Treatment Centers office near you and search for IL2 on the web
2006-06-13 13:18:13 · answer #5 · answered by SCRN 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm going to be brutaly honest. If you decide to do nothing, considering that -as you said- the cancer has already metastasized, the chances for you grandpa are pretty slim. Melanoma is a bitchy cancer, as long as it's contained is OK, but once it metastasizes one of the common organs it will go invade is the brain. If you let the cancer get there, your grandpa is history in 3 months.
So, let him decide, if he wants to live, go for the treatment, it will buy him another 2-3 years (if it works).
2006-06-13 18:13:50 · answer #6 · answered by biogeek 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What does Grandpa want? you say he is independent physically? How is his mental health? is he capable of making his own decisions? Start there. Maybe you should just ask him what he wants to do. chemotherapy is rigorous treatment - tough for anyone - especially older patients.
I would suggest searching the Amercian Cancer Society website for reputable info on melanoma. there are also very reputabe medical sites out there.
Email me - via the yahoo answers site - if you like for medical websites.
2006-06-13 13:15:25 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2006-06-18 16:46:50 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋