Expert: Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D. - 5/30/2010

Question
My wife was diagnosed with stage 3 small cell lung cancer on nov. 3, 2009. Had 6 rounds of chemo. and the cancer was gone from current scans. In April, 2010 she started radiation therapy (5 weeks) of this and on may 27, 2010 she had a seizure when i got home from work. She was taken to the hospital by ambulance where she had 2 more seizures. Here she had low sodium intake which caused the seizures. The drs. did another scan of her head and found that the cancer had spread to her brain.(small masses on every part of her brain. The dr. wants to start radiation on her head now. What damage can i expect to happen to my wife, she is only 38, and how long does she have.

Answer
I'm very sorry to read about her - and your - problems! Since it is obvious from her brain scan that her lung cancer has spread to her brain (which is rather common for lung cancers to do and which probably also caused her seizures) her lung cancer is now a stage 4 cancer. Such a cancer is at present incurable and with metastases to the brain also eventually fatal in spite of all treatment. Radiation therapy can prolong her survival time and decrease her symptoms. But even so I estimate her survival time to be measured in months only. I'm sorry I have nothing better to tell you!




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