Cancer Question?

Question

A few months ago my nan was diagnosed with bowel cancer. She recieved an operation in which we were told the cancer was removed. About 5 weeks or so later she started getting pains and when she was finally seen in hospital, she was told that the cancer was in the lymph node and they couldn't operate on it.

What i would like to know, 100% truthfully, is what treatment options there are for her now and what the success rate for them are.

Please, no false hope or doom and gloom. I just need to know so i can stop imagining the worst.

Thank You.

Answer 1

I'm so sorry to hear about your Grandma's bad health. Be there for her as much as you can and make her happy. When my Grandma had cancer I helped her wash her hair and spending time together as a family helped her spirits loads.

In terms of the cancer it is hard to say exactly. As it has moved to her Lymph Nodes it means that is the secondary cancer. What only her doctor can say, is how badly it has attacked and how many lymph nodes are affected. Some lymph nodes can be removed but not all.

Has the doctor been asked if there is any other trace of secondary cancer elsewhere in the body, if so this will obviously need attention too.

I belive she can be offered chemo and radiotherepy to attempt to shrink the cancer but you will need to ask her personal doctor.

Sorry I can't be anymore help.

I wish your Grandma and your family the best.

Answer 2

The only way of knowing this is to ask her doctor. Cancer is a complex disease and its treatment and progression is entirely dependent upon the type of cancer and its stage and grade, and the age, overall health (any secondary health concerns), and response to treatment by the patient.

In older patients it is very possible for the patient to outlive their cancer. What that means is that an elderly patient can die from an entirely different cause than cancer. That is one reason why the patient must weigh the benefits of treatment against their current quality of life. It seems that more and more that cancer in older people is becoming a chronic disease vs a fatal disease. It's possible to 'live with cancer' in many cases.

As far as treatment options . . I am assuming that her disease has metastasized since there is lympth node involvement. Her treatment options will probably be chemotherapy, radiation, or she could elect to do nothing depending on age, benefits vs little benefit, and her overall health. That's up to her.

Incidentally, even though the doctors will say 'inoperable' . . that isn't always true . . we were also told that in my sons case his abdominal sarcoma was inoperable. So, he did chemotherapy and had significant response . . and the protocol changed to . .operable. He is now facing a third operation for 'inoperable' cancer on the dome of the liver. Again, we were told 'inoperable' . . well . . except in his case. So, be very, very careful about 'assuming' that first . . stage IV is inoperable . . or assuming that any tumor is inoperable . . depending upon the circumstances and the skill of the surgeon that just might not be entirely true.

My son was originally diagnosed as stage IV with widespred metastasis which included lympth node involvement. He had five or six large (20cm) tumors growing uninhibited within the abdominal cavity, spleen incased in tumor, diaphragm caked with tumor, spots on chest wall, andn spots on lungs. Biopsy was taken from swollen lympth nodes on neck. That was almost two years ago. He had response from chemotherapy, two surgeries, and hyperthermic chemoperfusion and other than a few spots on the liver is now doing well. He just got back from a trip to the West coast.

Answer 3

it sounds a little confusing to me. When a patient with bowel cancer goes for their operation, the reason why the amount of bowel is quite large in comparison with the size of tumour is to remove the section of lymph nodes that the diseased portion of bowel drains into. If she had an operation to remove the colonic cancer, then it seems rather strange that 5 weeks later she would present back with an apprently diseased lymph node. It would either have been resected at the operation, or quite possibly be a reactive lymph node post operative.

Contrary to what a previous response say, lymph node involvement in colorectal cancer does not mean it is referred to as metastatic disease. CR cancer is graded on the Dukes scale. Dukes A and B are tumours of different local size. Dukes C1 mean that under 4 lymph nodes are involved and C2 means that above 4 are involved. Dukes D means there are distant mets. If she had an involved lymph node on the histology, she would be either C1 or C2. She would then automatically be referred for chemotherapy, and if it's a rectal/rectosigmoid tumour, possible radiotherapy.

The chemotherapy regimen used is oxaliplatin, which contrary to another poster has surprisingly positive results. It's aim in this instance would be to prevent the disease from progressing into the other organs, in bowel cancer predominantly liver then lungs. Her pre-operative CT should have identified any liver mets, as would palpating the liver at operation. From your post it seems neither here really applies. In this case, it is standard she will receive 6 months of chemotherapy, and then have a follow up CT to check for any future problems/lesions.

Answer 4

Hi there,
I am sorry to hear your nan is so poorly.
I don't think we should speculate here about your nan.
Often spreading to the lymph node is not uncommon. If the hospital say that cannot operate on it are they trying chemo or radiotherapy????
try and stay positive for your nans sake. Can you speak to your mum about the prognosis? Would your gran speak about it with you?
i think you need clear answers about this rather than us speculating.
Be strong and as supportive as you can Hun.

Answer 5

The lymphatic system
The lymphatic system is one of the body's natural defences against infection. It is made up of organs such as the bone marrow, thymus and spleen as well as lymph nodes (sometimes called lymph glands) all over the body that are connected by a network of lymphatic vessels.


Cancer in the lymph nodes
Cancer can develop in the lymph nodes in two ways. It can either start there as a primary cancer, or it can spread into the lymph nodes from a primary cancer elsewhere in the body. If cancer spreads into the lymph nodes from another part of the body, this is known as secondary or metastatic cancer. Cancer that starts in the lymph nodes themselves is called lymphoma.




How cancers can spread
Cancerous tumours are made up of millions of cells. Some of these cells may break away from the primary cancer and travel in the bloodstream or the lymphatic system to another part of the body. They can stay dormant in such places for many years, or can grow into secondary tumours.

Cancer found in lymph nodes, in a part of the body far away from an original primary tumour, is usually recognised as being a secondary rather than a new primary cancer. Under a microscope, the cells will look like cells from the original type of cancer. For example, when a lung cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, the cells in the lymph nodes look like lung cancer cells.

In some people, when the original tumour is diagnosed, doctors will also remove some nearby lymph nodes. It is important to know whether or not a primary cancer has spread to any nearby lymph nodes, because it helps the doctors to estimate the risk of the cancer coming back, and to decide whether or not further treatment is necessary.




Signs and symptoms
The most common sign of cancer cells in the lymph nodes is that one or more of the lymph nodes becomes enlarged or feels hard. However, if there are only a small number of cells in the lymph nodes, they may feel quite normal, and it is only possible to tell that a cancer is present by removing part, or all, of the lymph node and examining the cells in a laboratory. However, it is important to remember that lymph nodes can be enlarged for other reasons, such as infections.

Sometimes a lymph node, or group of nodes, may appear larger than they should be on a scan, such as an ultrasound scan, CT scan or MRI scan. This may be a sign that there is a secondary cancer in the lymph nodes.


How it is diagnosed
The diagnosis of a secondary cancer in the lymph nodes is usually carried out by removing a lymph node, or nodes, under general anaesthetic (known as an excision biopsy).

Alternatively, a sample of cells may be taken from an enlarged lymph node, using a fine needle attached to a syringe (a needle biopsy). The needle biopsy is usually done in a clinic and does not need a general anaesthetic.

The cells can then be sent to a laboratory to be examined under the microscope by a pathologist (a doctor who can diagnose illness by looking at cells).

If your doctors feel that the enlarged lymph nodes (or those seen on a scan) are quite clearly linked to the primary cancer, it may not be necessary to remove a node or take a biopsy.




Treatment
The treatment for a cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes depends on the individual situation, including the person's general health and type of primary cancer. It may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy, or a combination of these treatments.

Sometimes, cancer cells may be found in lymph nodes near to the primary tumour, during surgery to remove this cancer. In this situation, treatment such as chemotherapy may be suggested. This is because if a primary cancer has spread to the nearby lymph glands, it increases the risk that the cancer may have spread to other parts of the body. Chemotherapy can reduce the chance of the cancer coming back for some people.



Your feelings
Learning that your cancer has spread, or come back, can be a shock. You may have many different emotions, including anger, resentment, guilt, anxiety and fear. These are all normal reactions, and are part of the process many people go through in trying to come to terms with their illness.

Each individual has their own way of coping with difficult situations; some people find it helpful to talk to friends or family, while others prefer to seek help from people outside their situation. Some people prefer to keep their feelings to themselves. There is no right or wrong way to cope, but help is available if you need it. You may wish to contact our cancer support service for information about counselling services in your area.

Answer 6

It does'nt sound too good, sweetie, especially when they won't operate. I suppose that she will have been given medication for any pain etc. A lot also depends on her inner self. Some people give up, but I believe that positive thought can do wonders, and the love of her grandchildren. Chin up

Answer 7

Carrot juice should be taken regularly in the morning on empty stomach.The juice should be prepared in a juice extractor and not a mixer grinder.Ask her to have this every day.
And as for the technical medical bits I do not know.try to find a spiritual healer who can alleviate the pain.

Answer 8

Chemotherapy is probably the next step and in my experience it has not been too responsive.