Expert: Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D. - 6/9/2008

Question
QUESTION: My Mum was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer in January this year after 3 months of chemotherapy where the tumor had shrunk by half she took a number of seizure like facial twitches loss of speech after investigation it was discovered the cancer has spread to the brain she is presently having 10 radiotherapy treatments but has been told that all this will do is control the symptoms, Can you give me any idea how long she has left her doctor has said middle scenario to be months but no mention of worst case or best case

ANSWER: I'm sorry to read about her and your problems! No one can predict survival time with any accuracy. Too many individual variations. Both patients and cancers are individuals not identical clones/copies. But I think a number of months does seem reasonable. I'm sorry it is not possible to come closer than that with any certainty.


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

QUESTION: Can you tell me what type of probelms my mum might encounter, at the moment the tumour seems only to be at the frontl lobe area of the brain, what areas of the body does this affect, any idea how much pain or suffering she might have to face based on things as they stand at the moment. My mums treatment finished today how long will it control the symptoms if it in fact worked at all?

Answer
The frontal areas mainly control personality not any specific body parts. It is very common that lung cancers spread to the brain. She will become more and more confused, may have epileptic fits and will sleep more and more eventually passing into a coma and then pass away. There will be very little pain - if indeed any.
I'm sorry I have nothing better to tell you!