Expert: Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D. - 2/13/2008

Question
QUESTION: My mother was just diagnosed with brain cancer;1 mass size of green olive and one smaller.  Prior history;estrogen related breast cancer;double mastectomy;tomoxifen then caused endometrial cancer;remission for 6 years;recent fall;paralysis;diff with vision;thought she had a stroke;had MRI;no stroke, but brain cancer...she is scheduled for 14 txs of Radiology then Cyberblast and PET scan;what type of progosis should be expect and is this terminal?  Thanks!

ANSWER: Well this is most probably not primary brain tumors but daughter tumors from a cancer elsewhere, probably her breast cancer though I can not a priori rule out her endometrial cancer or another yet unknown new primary. If indeed it is her breast cancer again, then she now suffers from a stage 4 breast cancer with a bad prognosis. Yes this is unfortunately most probably terminal, though radiation MAY succeed in some TEMPORARY control. It is probable though in this situation that her survival time can be measured in months rather than years. I'm sorry I have nothing better to tell you!


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Will my mother's PET scan reveal the source of these new tumors?  If so, would she then receive chemo vs her radiation or would both be done?  What exactly is a daughter tumor?  Thanks!

Answer
Perhaps. But if it is her breast cancer (or her endometrial cancer) the original source(s) is/are already gone. A dughter tumor is a tumor that exists because cancer cells have spread to there from somewhere else. Thanks!
Sorry I can not tell her if you should share it or not. I do not know her! And this is NOT good news.