Expert: Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D. - 4/7/2008

Question
QUESTION: Dear Dr. Nordquist,
I read one of the previous question/answers regarding an anaplastic astrocytoma, grade 3. I think it basically answered my questions, however I want to see if it could be any different. Maybe it's my wishful thinking. My father was diagnosed May 2007 with a grade 3. They at first thought it was a stroke, which later turned out to be a tumor. His tumor can not be removed, as they said if they did so, he could be a vegetable. His tumor is where speech, vision and all of that is housed. I believe it's in the frontal area. He has had chemo pills (temodor) and the radiation treatments and Kepra, and steroids, etc. He had last bout of chemo end of Feb 2008. He had an MRI which showed growth the first week of March 2008. They gave him another MRI and CT scan March 31, 2008 and shows that it grew again in less than a month! So they now say that his tumor looks to be a grade 4 instead, and have decided to do the cyber knife and put him back on the chemo (temodor for 3 weeks) He is having 3 sessions of the cyberknife. It has not quite been a year yet since my father was diagnosed, but will be next month. You state that grade 4 patients have about a year survival. With this cyber knife treatment and more chemo, will that prolong his life anymore? My mother also believes that coral calcium is the answer to cancer, and is making him take 2 doses of that every day to get the acid levels down. She thinks that will cure his cancer. Will that help? And what do you think of my fathers survival rate is looking at? He walks a bit slower, and doesn't know how to use tools anymore without breaking them, and he can't carry on a conversation without mixing up words.He seems to be more like a child anymore. How fast will things get worse? They are suppose to give him another MRI in 30 days from Tuesday to see if treatment is working. What do you think?
Seeking your knowledge and truth,
Kim

ANSWER: How big is your father's tumor? If too big it will be difficult or impossible to use the cyberknife. Cyberknife treatment is rather new so experience is limited. But even so I doubt that he can be cured unfortunately. So unfortunately I estimate his survival time to around 1 year - at most. But such an estimate is always uncertain. And that time is in general counted from initial therapy not diagnosis.  I have no faith or belief in coral calcium at all. If things were that simple there would be no cancer tragedy! On the other hand it probably does not harm him either. When he starts sleeping most of the time you will know that the end is not far off. I'm sorry I have nothing better to tell you!


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

QUESTION: Thank you for your answer. My father's brain tumor is 3 inches in December of 2007 and they said that was stable in December. When they did a MRI in early March, they said it grew 1 inch in a different area. When they did another MRI March 31st, it showed that it actually grew 2 inch. And they said they saw 2 enhancements on there but they said the Cyberknife would only treat the 2 inch growth, not the enhancements and not the 3 inch stable part of the tumor. My fathers treatment probably started in June. So you think maybe June he will pass? My father has not been tired at all. Now that the weather is getting better here for us, he is wanting to go outside and do stuff. He can't sleep at night either. He gets up like 4 a.m., because he cant sleep, so maybe that means he still has some time, as he is not sleeping alot? So thank you again for all wisdom, and willing to tell it like it is.

Answer
Your father's tumor may have shifted grade to become more malignant. So it may have been a grade 1 or 2 to begin with and then shifted over grade 3 to 4. That may happen. That would extend his survival time considerably. Since we do not know when that happened (and/or if indeed it did) I can not tell you by how much.