Experience I'm a Doctor of Medicine. Licensed/certified physician and surgeon and specialist in Medical
Oncology and Radiation therapy in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and the European Union. 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. Now in private practice in Stockholm, Sweden.
I also answer questions in these other categories: General History,
Military History,
Brain Tumors,
Breast Cancer,
Colon Cancer
Question My mom had a lobectomy of her left lung, had chemo and radiation and from the results of her PET scan it is spreading to the right side and the liver (they think) they said abnormalities are there. They want her to take Tarceva and have an infusion once a month. My mom is allergic to so much and can't stand rashes & we know that is what Tarceva will do. She was supposed to take it June 12th & is putting it off till we go to the doctor June 18th. She also has blood in her urine & is debating if she should even take any pills or more treatment. How advanced is this? It sounds serious to me. I live with her (I am her daughter and caretaker) & will ask the doctor (her oncologist) June 18th? Do you have any suggestions for me at all? She does not go out at all or walk & just lays & watches TV. I have tried to get her out but she won't go.Please help and thank you. I know this is just an opinion but I need one or what questions to ask her doctor. She said she told her doctor she had the blood in her urine & she did not say anything about it.
Answer Yes this IS serious. There are signs (her PET scan) that her cancer has spread to her liver. That is not unusual for lung cancers to do so I'm not surprised. That makes her lung cancer a stage 4 (IV) lung cancer with a bad prognosis. Her dr SHOULD be told about the blood in her urine and that she has not yet started her medication. Chemotherapy may slow the process down but a stage 4 cancer is at present incurable. It is very advanced. Stage 4 is as bad as it can get. So your mother is very ill! I'm sorry I have nothing better to tell you! You should tell her dr all the facts you have told me and her dr will understand. Then just ask what her dr wants to do and wants done. Since your mother is so ill she may have no energy to go out or to do anything special. I doubt that that will improve.
