my 75 yr old( dear sweet) aunt has cancer that originated in her neck and is now in stage 4 cancer.
2007-03-09 02:46:47 · 13 answers · asked by itsme2003 2 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Cancer
she lives far away.and its really sad because i saw her for only the 3rd time in my life after 25 yrs last summer. (my mother and father divorced when i was little and we didnt have the means to visit extended family growing up).
2007-03-09 03:06:37 · update #1
Stage 4 is not a death sentence. It is very serious though and successful treatment will depend on the overall health of the patient, location of the metastasis, response to treatment, and the age of the patient.
My teenage son has been fighting stage IV abdominal sarcoma for two years and done remarkabley well. He feels fine most of the time except when he has chemotherapy. He had massive tumors through his abdomen, large and small intestine, chest wall, spleen, on the liver, caked on the diaphragm, in the lympth nodes, and spots on his lungs. He was treated with high dose chemo, surgery, hyperthermic chemoperfusion, and low dose chemo which eliminated all evidence of cancer for 10 months. He has had a reoccurence of a few small tumors on the liver and will have surgery to remove them in a few weeks.
Absolutely no one here can tell you how long someone with any stage of cancer will live . . not even a doctor. At best it will be a guess. Your dear sweet old Aunt may surprise you yet. Don't be so quick to write her off just because she has a serious stage of cancer.
There is always hope.
2007-03-09 05:08:48 · answer #1 · answered by Panda 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's really hard to tell. Some people can hold on longer than others, and some give up and pass quickly when they realize how sick they are. I am sorry for your pain. I have lost many family members due to cancer and it is always devastating to watch. Don't look at the quantity of time you have with your aunt. It is the quality that matters, so make the best of what time you do have. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.
2007-03-09 03:03:30 · answer #2 · answered by ♥ terry g ♥ 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Stage 4 indicates metastasis and is very serious, but you already knew that. Some people live only a few weeks, some people live a lot longer depending on where the cancer has metastasized to and if radiation is successful in shrinking the tumor cells. A person who knows the patients condition and has seen her personally is the only one that would have a clue. If it metastasis is to the spine, that is a very poor situation. Good luck and better health. She will be in my prayers.
2007-03-09 02:53:36 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Definitely talk extensively with your Aunt and doctor. Stage four means it's advanced, but I've heard many people who have lived 1-2 years after hearing they're stage 4. That will strongly depend on your Aunt's health and her inner strength.
Good luck to you and your family. You all will get through this. It's amazing the amount of stress we can survive.
2007-03-09 02:52:40 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I had a friend with stage 4 cancer and only lived two months after the diagnosis. So sorry for your family, but try to remember- 75 years is a good long life. We should all be so lucky.
2007-03-09 02:50:43 · answer #5 · answered by the beet 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Sorry to hear about your Aunt, I just lost my sister to stage 4 cancer in Nov. She had it in her liver, and was doing well until she took a fall. She passed days later due to complications. Good luck to you and your family.
2007-03-09 02:51:55 · answer #6 · answered by semvama 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Only God knows how much longer your Aunt will live, and he will decide when to take her . Unitl then enjoy her life here on earth. Be thankful you can prepare for her passing, alot of people lose loved ones tragically and dont have time to say goodbye and prepare for the blow. Don't spend the rest of her days here crying about what will happen, spend them with her knowing how blessed you are to have her at all. God Bless you and yours.
2007-03-09 02:59:04 · answer #7 · answered by 3boys 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
it could be a long time. it depends on the overall condition of the body..on heart and just overall wellness. stage 4 is not great but if she is strong and if treatment is helping, it could be a very long time. i wish her all the best!
2007-03-09 03:26:26 · answer #8 · answered by EventNewYork 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
How many stages are there? If 4, then probably 3 to 6 mos.
2007-03-09 02:49:34 · answer #9 · answered by RUNINTLKT 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
It depends. If she has a will leaving over $500,000 then the medical teams will deplete the funds, then she will pass.
If poor, about 2 months.
A billionaire can survive for 3 to 4 years.
Ask your aunt's CPA her current net worth, then divide it by $20,000 and this will tell you how many weeks she has left.
As odd as this may sound to you, I have much experience to testify that it is a very reliable guage for loving families to use.
2007-03-09 02:51:15 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 3⤋