Your 2 year old son has cancer?

Question

A two year old boy suddenly starts uncontrollable vomiting during a rousing backyard game of baseball at home. He is taken to the ER because as I said it is uncontrollable. Lo and behold it is discovered he has cancer of his brain. Seemingly untreatable, unoperable, very scary. High dose radiation is begun immediately along with aggressive chemotherapy. Of course he is very ill. My question is this, Would you treat the disease knowing there is virtually no hope or would you back off somewhat with the meds in the hope of letting him enjoy his last time here? (Treating pain, fatigue, nausea, etc. in either decision as well as possible, of course.) This is a tough one.

This is not my child but some one we know.

Answer 1

When you are a parent or even the treating doctor, it is virtually impossible to hold back any therapy for a young child. You always hope that there might be an unexpectedly good response. There are always stories of children who survived after some incredible therapies and ended up leading a good life floating around.
If the child indeed doesn't respond and by now not only the brain, but also other organs are affected either by the tumor itself or by the medications used, it is a moment to step back and revisit the use/futility of the therapy given. This is when the parents have to meet with all the doctors involved and hear their opinions and make a decision if they should switch gears. Most of the time, it is the instinct of the parent to continue fighting. I don't think there are many more difficult situations than opting to give up on a fight for your child's life.

Answer 2

Well, first off how do they know it's not treatable if the arey will be doing radiation and chemo? Doctors don't know how a person will respond or if people really are untreatable. So on that note and being a cancer survivor, I would say I would treat him with both chemo and radiation in the hope that it would shrink it to be operaable. If after 60 days there was no change in the tumor I would rethink it. I would also reseach every possible treatment available and clinical trials and different alternative meds too.

I have an ovarian mass right now, I was told the ONLY way to go was surgery either to remove the ovary or hysterectomy as the mass was 10.1 and my ca125 test was 70, double the norm of 35. I said NO way to surgery and pain, my doctor set up the surgery anyhow and we had a parting of ways. I found another doctor that said "oh no we can use Lupron to shrink it and maybe get rid of it totally" BIG difference. I would get several opinions before I decided for a child as some doctors are more medically advanced on new therapies than others. BTW, my mass is now 5 and still shrinking.

PPS, I would not lose my reality but at the same time hope for the best for a remission for the child too. I know of 1 person who is living with cancer, he goes in for periodic treatments every so many months, 8 years ago he was diagnosed with terminal inoperable lung and liver cancer, he was given 6 months to live, and he's still here. The cancer has spread to the pancreas but he is still doing good. Every day brings new hope of a cure or more meds to keep someone living with illness.

Answer 3

There is a book: Natural Cures They Don't Want You To Know About written by, Kevin Trudeau, Read it. The growing knowledge in fighting cancer is amazing many people. Some say that cancer is not the absence of radiation or chemotherapy. One idea gaining acceptance is that the cause of cancer is lack of oxygen. Another is that the body ph level should be maintained at 7.4 ph , good nutrition, fresh fruits and vegetables , good filtered water. READ THE BOOK, it may help you discover some amazing information. This is my opinion.

Answer 4

There are so many promising treatments out there. I'd try everything before I gave up.

I don't know if this is a hypothetical question or not, but I'd recommend St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. I used to work for them (I'm in cancer research) and I know that they have some of the best doctors in the world there...plus, if you don't have insurance, or if you can't pay the portions that insurance doesn't cover, they forgive the debt - they have helped SO many children.

Answer 5

I would let the disease take its natural progression, using light radiation for palliative measures. He'll feel ill enough w/o the added misery of aggressive chemo/radiation. Let him enjoy what's left of his life. God bless you for being such a good friend. As for Kevin Trudeau, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Trudeau. Snake oil salesmen love to take advantage of people in health crisis.

Answer 6

If this is unoperable I would choose quality vrs quanity of life..bless his little heart..this is so unfair..he has just started his life..Embrace his family..sometimes silence is better than words..give them support and be there when the his time has come...we will have a another beautiful angel looking over us...

Answer 7

I would take him to the Brain Tumor Center at Duke University Medical Center to see Dr. Henry Friedman. He and his associates saved my life! I would give the child a chance at life. It doesn't sound like there is much quality of life for him from what you described.

Answer 8

Once the child dies, you would always wonder if he could have miraculously been healed if he had been given treatment. I think that even if it seems to be futile, you have to at least try something. Give him a chance to beat it.

Answer 9

You poor thing. I feel for you.

I believe quality of life is what I would personally go for. If it were my child, heaven forbid, I would want him to feel as good as he can. Chemo/radiation is nasty stuff.

God bless you.

Answer 10

i have breast cancer and i have been going a year for all the treatments so i do no all the sickness you are talking about...if it was my child yes i would do the treatment bc he might go into remission, but without treatment there is no hope..