Appearance
question:I'm 56 yrs old female, 70kg, 182 cm, diagnosed with malignant melanoma about 18 months ago and did not receive treatments thereafter.I've a big swelling under my left jaw.Recently I visited an oncologist and he told me that the cancer is incurable and he told me that the only option available would be to work on improving my quality of life. Could there be any estimate for the amount of time before the cancer kills me?
answer:Not necessarily, based on your primary site and if the disease is spread only to one site (underneath your jaw) confirmed after a metastatic workup a surgical approach is still an option. On the other hand , if it has spread to other sites palliative approach using chemotherapy or biological/immunetherapy can give you a survival of 6 to 12 months
question:My mother is 81 years old has stage 4 bladder cancer that has spread to her lungs.She is in hosiptal now because of infection and she also has a cathererd.Very prone to getting infections,,this is the second time she has been admitted to hosiptal since Thanksgiving...My question is the doctores want to give her radition and chemo in hopes of shrinking the tumor...my worry is that she is to weak to do this..I am a cancer surviver and went thru chemo and radioation..it really made me sick.......Just afriad that the chemo will lower her white cells and make her sicker..doctors here say she has 2 maybe 4 months left..I don't wanmt her to go thru anything that's going to make her sicker...but i have a brother and sister that this is the way to go...your advise please
answer:Some aged people surprisingly tolerate treatments well, the best way to go about is start with radiation and low dose chemotherapy and based on how she tolerates, chemotherapy be discontinued and complete a course of 55 to 60 Gy radiation
question:I have cancer of the gullet, inoperable, uncurable, Iam told its wrapped round my wind pipeand in to limph glands, Had 9 treatments Radiotheraphy[to relieve symptons! finnished 2 weeks ago,! No one will be staight with me,What are the next syptions Iwill get{will I be choking]? mostly I need to knowhow long before I am bed ridden, and then " dead" The only answere I get is all people are diferent!!
answer:Depending on level of windpipe involvement you may experience breathlessness. You require a feeding tube placed into your stomach. Palliative care is needed. If you are experiencing breathlessness consult your primary physcian/surgeon , a tracheostomy can help relieve it. Survival ranges from 4 to 8 months
question:Hello Dr., I just came back from having my mammogram and breast ultrasound. The Radiologist found shadowing o both breasts, on the ultrasound. I do have a past history of breast cancer, Stage 0, DCIS, and was put on Tamoxifen for five years after a breast biopsy and lympectomy. I have been cancer free for six years. My mother had breast cancer as well. I now need a MRI with contrast. I am a RN, but of course I am concerned. What can cause the shadowing on the ultrasound? I do have dense breasts, fibrocystic disease and saline bilateral implants behind the muscle. What are your thoughts please? Thank you!
answer:DCIS(stage 0) is a precursor lesion for breast cancer, meaning if left untreated it progresses to Cancer.Thats why it is surgically removed and adjuvant treatments are offered to prevent its recurrence and futher progression to breast cancer.Coming to your question, Having dense breast tissue, fibrocystic disease and saline implants leads to varying tissue density , the shadowing can be a result of that. An MRI with contrast and breast coil is recommended to get complete information as the normal tissue is disturbed by surgery and implants. Nevertheless a 50 % chance of malignancy is present in normal woman with such findings. Risk of recurrence in your case is very low. I would also advise you to consult your onoclogist regarding continuation of tamoxifen for 5 more years. If you are post menopausal , letrazole/anastrazole is advised.Regards
question:Am I a low risk or intermediate risk? PSA 3.2 Gland volume 50.2 Gleason Pattern 3+4 Extend of cancer 1/12 cores; 3 Am I a low or an intermediate risk patient? Diagnosis Prostatic andenocarcinoma PSA 3.2 Gleason pattern 3+4 High grade PIN Indentified Extend of cancer 1/12 cores, 3% of total core tissue PSAD 0.10 Staging T2a Age 55 Health Good/very good
answer:Except for your gleason score everything else says you are low risk.But Even one parameter Changes the risk stratification.Since your gleason score is 7 , you are an intermediate risk patinet
question:Hi. I am Susan. I am experiencing sharp pain in the lower right side of my abdomen. It comes in waves, never going away, but sometimes less discomfort, then turning into stabbing pain. I notice I had a lot of unexplained flatulence last night and didn't feel very well. The sharp pain started late this morning. I am not eating anything different in my diet. I took otc gas pills at 5:00 pm this evening to no relief. I also had a large bm at 5:30 this evening and thought that may help, but to no avail. I am in extreme discomfort. Anything I can do to give me quick relief? I do not think this is appendix related as I can jump without making the pain worse.
answer:HI Susan,It is not necessary that you have to have pain while jumping to be diagnosed as appendicitis. Appendicitis is more a clinical diagnosis, and investigations can only be corroborated with the physical findings.As you had a large bowel motion, you have to exclude any kind of food poisoning if you eat from outside. Apart from it a ureteric calculi may also give rise to similar symptoms of pain which comes in waves. I would also like to know date of your LMP(Last menstrual period) if you are in your reproductive age, and are sexually active. If you have a missed period, then you should go for a urine pregnancy test and a serum HCG test on consultation with your family physician. If still nothing is clear, then your physician may advise you for an ultrasound to exclude any other intra abdominal pathology,which might have been missed clinically. Wishing you an early recovery.