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Brain Tumors/SCLC spread to brain

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Expert: - 9/14/2009


Question
My mother just found out that her lung cancer has spread to her left side of her brain, impairing her speech and she has difficulty to grip stuff with her left hand. They started her with 10 radiation therapies.  We are wondering if we can still provide sufficiently at home. She prefers to be at home, as well as us, but we don't know if it is possible.

Answer
It will be difficult. This will have drastic consequences. Her remaining survival time will be at most measured in months maybe even weeks. She will become paralyzed in that side of her body (if she has problem with her left side is it not to the right side of her brain that it has spread?). But her speech problems are consistent with her left brain side. Both sides? She may even suffer from epileptic fits and she may get other stroke like symptoms. She will become more and more confused and sleep more and more. When she sleeps all the time her end is near. She will then drift into a coma and pass away. There will be little pain if any. The radiation therapy can only prolong her survival somewhat. This is a common consequence of lung cancer. If it is a squamous cell cancer it most probably has to do with smoking or at least smoke.

Brain Tumors

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Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D.

Expertise

I`m a doctor of medicine and specialist in radiation therapy and medical oncology. I have a long time experience of these tumours.

Experience

I'm a Doctor of Medicine and specialist in Medical Oncology and Radiation Therapy, educated and trained in Sweden. Now retired. Background in Radiation Therapy, Medical Oncology, Radiation Protection, Nuclear Medicine, Diagnostic Radiology, Gynecological Oncology, Clinical Pathology, Clinical Cytology,Hematology and Internal Medicine. M.D. from the faculty of medicine, Royal Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. Have also been an exchange student at the Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem Israel. Former medical consultant, Swedish National Board of Radiation Protection. Former Police Surgeon and Medical Examiner, Stockholm Police Department. Former Chief Medical Officer, The Royal Guards, The Royal Horse Guards and the Royal Household Brigade, Royal Swedish Army Medical Corps. You can also reach me on: http://www.lifestylerescue.com/expert/health-fitness-advice/dr-claes-gustaf/128 . I have no restrictions on the number of questions there. I also answer questions about Oncology (General Cancer), General History, Military History, Breast Cancer, Colon Cancer.

Education/Credentials
Doctor of medicine, specialist in medical oncology & radiation therapy.

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