A friend of my family was just diagnosed with T-3 Lymphoma of the spine in his lumbar region. He is soon to start treatment.
What is his chances of survival? I do not know if it has spread, but he is an older male, in his 40's and he does smoke.
2007-08-09 08:24:34 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Cancer
****, this is what i heard from someone else. Ok the fact is he has a tumor in his lumbar reagion of his spine, and its cancerous.
2007-08-09 08:30:41 · update #1
That is an answer only the physician can answer, and even then it is largely due to the current health of the patient.
I can give you this word, however.....many cancer patients do not die of the cancer, but from the malnutrition that comes from the cancer's effects on the body and the treatment for the cancer.
EDIT: just to clarify....healthy eating is NOT a replacement for medical treatment...it just assists in helping the body maintain during treatment.
A good nutritionist qualified to work with cancer patients is invaluable. Healthy eating is a vital part of the process of fighting cancer.
2007-08-09 08:30:04 · answer #1 · answered by mizmead 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
40's??? Older??? I'm insulted!!!
I'm not an oncologist, but there are effective treatments for lymphoma now, and, if (since the disease is in his spine) he shows no signs of paralysis of the lower extremities, I would say that his chances are pretty good. When he starts treatment, he should ask the oncologist who is treating him, straight up, what the chances are. Docs don't like to give odds (too much of a chance they'll get sued if they're wrong), but he should get a general idea if I'm right (I haven't practiced in 12 years, but at that time the treatment of lymphoma was progressing rapidly, and they might have a complete cure by now that I'm unaware of.)
OK, I just read your addendum. There ARE lymph nodes which run along either side of the spine, and they CAN become involved with lymphoma, but from your additional description, if the malignancy is of the bone of the spine itself, that changes the picture. Paralysis becomes much more of a worry, and the prognosis, although it is not bleak, is more serious than with lymphoma. If you can find out the specific type of cancer that it is, then you can look it up on line (WebMD comes to mind) and get more specific information. Or, just enter the type of cancer into a search engine, and see what comes up.
Good luck to him (and you).
2007-08-09 08:35:36 · answer #2 · answered by Dr. Dave 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First of all to the smart RN, lymphoma can occure in the spine, in the lower regions where your nodes are.
It depends on several factors. Like what stage it was caught in and how his current health is. If it was caught early then his changes are pretty good. He smoked before so he has to stop, also if he used alcohol he needs to stop so his immune system can fight better.
Also depends on treatment. If he is getting radiation, or chemotherapy, or both. Chemo treatment really makes a person feel sick though. I wouldn't do it if I had cancer unless they said I was for sure going to die.
Another thing to take into cosideration is if it has spread or not.
If it is lymphoma, there are two types; Hogkin's lymphoma and non-hodgkin's lymphoma.
Several different things to consider. I know you where looking for a yes or no answer but it's hard to give one. Even the doctor can't give you a yes or no because it also depends on how he reacts to the treatment.
Just keep him in your prayers. Find out some more information on his status and research it.
Good luck with everything.
2007-08-09 08:42:40 · answer #3 · answered by Kay13 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wait till the doctors can tell you more about his particular case. His outlook is dependent on how well he reacts to treatment. If the cancer was caught early, he has a great prognosis. With full remission it could be a life time. But the average life expectancy after treatment with "recurrence episodes" is 5 years. If the cancer is fully involved (the cancer has already spread through his body to different regions, bone, or organs) He could have as little time as a few weeks, or months.
Keep the faith and Pray for him..I will add him to mine.
2007-08-09 09:07:00 · answer #4 · answered by Iknowalittle 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you have your terms confused, Lymphoma occurs in the lymphatic system, not the spine, and T-3 is the thoracic region, not the lumbar region, get your facts straight and ask again.
2007-08-09 08:28:38 · answer #5 · answered by essentiallysolo 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
one natural cure that the drug companies don't want you to know because they will lose a lot of money is raw organic flax seed oil it has been shown to kill the the tumor in recent studis in canada pick it up at your local health food store
2007-08-09 09:37:36 · answer #6 · answered by southpaw 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋