Cancer - doc says no more treatment

LegacyUser

ok heres a long shot, found out yesterday that a very close relative is no longer gonna receive treatment for cancer that she has in her hip and bowels - doctors have said they have done all they could and now it is just a matter of time, doctors have said she will not pass away in the short term and that she will still have some time left,

is there any other options left, was thinking of seeking more treatment elsewere ie.america but dont know where to start, feel a bit useless twiddling my thumbs and just waiting about.

she isnt in bad shape, able walk about and chat like normal. has been recieving treatment for 2 years but now that is done, cancer still there but hasnt moved about too much.

anyone ever heard of anyone seeking treatment elsewhere after the doc has said hes done all hes gonna do and can anyone point me in any direction other than just wait".

any help hugely appreciated

Pherekydes

I purchased a book in Eason the other day called Prostate Cancer by Jane Plant. She was given 3 months to live with breast cancer that had metastized to her neck. She drastically changed her diet and the cancer disappeared. Maybe you're skeptical about that, but anything might be worth a shot at this stage.

This might be better off in Long term illness.

MagicMarker

I doubt you would have any luck in American unless you're minted tbh.

Have you talked to your relative? What do they think?

I'm sorry but I think the doctors know what's best here, sometimes you just have to accept that some battles are lost. All you can do is be there for them.

Pherekydes wrote: »

I purchased a book in Eason the other day called Prostate Cancer by Jane Plant. She was given 3 months to live with breast cancer that had metastized to her neck. She drastically changed her diet and the cancer disappeared. Maybe you're skeptical about that, but anything might be worth a shot at this stage.

This might be better off in Long term illness.

Why was the book called Prostate Cancer?

MysticalSoul

When my aunt was diagnosed with Cancer she wasn't offered any treatment, as it was so advanced. All they could do was make her as comfortable as possible. She passed away two months later. I really do think the docs are in the best position to know, as if after two years there has been no shift, there really isn't much else she can do.

LegacyUser

I'm not posting to start a big debate about cancer treatment. But...

I know of two people who had cancer at a young age. One tried conventional treatment and then tried macrobiotic/alternative/whatever at a private clinic abroad after that failed. The other person went straight down the alternative route, maybe at the same foreign clinic. Both died. Am no expert but people do seem to beat themselves up an awful lot with positive thinking and the right diets and whatever. I'm very sorry.

Musashi

If you have it where you live contact a hospice homecare team.

It's palliative care to make the end more bearable, but they do great work.

In fairness, my wife worked on an Oncology ward for about eight years and the doctors here do try everything! Sometimes to the extent that you would prefer to be at home and sedated rather than taking more treatment.

If even the consultants have said that's it, I would be inclined to take their advice rather than prolonging things.

It is very tough, which is why my wife no longer works in cancer care. I can't tell you how you should proceed, but I would suggest making the most of the time that is left. Losing people is always hard, harder than I thought really when it happened to me. You do your best and keep on, it's all you can do.

TripleT

Hi,

<SNIP> square does cups, accupunture and nutrition. He has cured many people of cancer apparently. He is responsible for curing John Kenny from D'unbelievables as far as i know. I think it would be worth at least talking to him if nothing else. Best of luck.

MagicMarker

TripleT wrote: »

Hi,
<SNIP> does cups, accupunture and nutrition. He has cured many people of cancer apparently. He is responsible for curing John Kenny from D'unbelievables as far as i know. I think it would be worth at least talking to him if nothing else. Best of luck.

I don't know, is this really the place to providing possible ''miracle cures''. IMO all that's being provided is false hope, just doesn't seem right.

RedXIV

MagicMarker wrote: »

I don't know, is this really the place to providing possible ''miracle cures''. IMO all that's being provided is false hope, just doesn't seem right.

To some, any hope is better than none, if nothing else, the OP has plenty of things he can try. Best of luck OP

LegacyUser

I lost my dad to cancer and the one thing I would say is find out as much as you can from the experts regardless of the prospects for your loved one. This will give you and your family peace of mind if nothing else.

Now you may already be doing this but i'll say it anyway. Ask the doctors/consultants as many questions as you can think off. Arrange a scheduled in office meeting. Get to know the disease as best you can. The more you get to know the disease the more questions you will have. Contact the Irish Cancer Society and/or other cancer societies, like ones that are more specific to the type of cancer.

I would agree that doctors do try everything. If you think there is treatment in the U.S why not contact the cancer societies in the U.S. As the docs here first see what they say about treatment abroad.

There is loads of info out there but its best to stick to the experts.

dtwhaler

I'm really sorry for your situation. Here's my tuppence worth .......

My dad was diagnosed with cancer in May three years ago. At the time you'd have sworn the man was a picture of health. They operated, removed a 14lb tumour and he was out of hospital and in the bookies 10 days later, sore but up and about. Then he started his chemo. This took every remaining ounce of life and fight from him and he spent his last months in a bed. He died in the September that same year. I was grateful of the suffereing being relatively short.

On the flip side, my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer, was told she only had a couple of months to live, got chemo and lasted another two years. She fought like hell and went from a fairly heavy set woman who wasted away to 4 stone over that two years. It was horrible to watch.

I know every case is different but I think that with my dad it would have been better to have left him without the chemo treatment. I think he would have lived more of his life towards the end instead of from a bed.

From the little I know there is no cure for a lot of cancers. If there was they'd be shouting from the rooftops. My question is why put someone through some horrible treatment that will only make them suffer more or have to endure the pain for so much longer ?

Maybe I'm totally wrong and I'll be of a different opinion if/when I get to that situation. Maybe I'll try to cling on to every last bit of life ? I honestly dont know but looking at it right now I'd suggest trying to get your relative to live life as much as they can.

Wibbs

TripleT suggesting medical advice is against the forum of this charter. Suggesting bad medical advice is against simple good sense.

comongethappy

Hi OP,

I'm very sorry to hear that your close relative has cancer. I've lost many people, both realtives and family friends, to the disease.

I'm from the states, and my grandpa is currently undergoing cancer treatment. He originally had it in the lung, and they removed 10% of the lung and went on chemo, and they thought they got it all. Then he got prostate cancer, but because of his age, it wasn't a serious threat, so they started hormone treatment to shrink it. Then he got kidney cancer... they removed one of his kidneys, but they were going to hold off on chemo. They told my gran and my mom that they had gotten it all and there was no chance of it spreading. I think that's the worst advice when it comes to cancer, because you never know. A couple months later, when I was home, I was with them in hospital and he was diagnosed with cancer, but it's on his other kidney, liver, and near the spine. TBH they seem to offer the same treatment options (hormones / radiation / chemo) as they do here. The prognosis for my granddad isn't good, and he's really in a lot of pain, and the radiation seems to have made it worse. I just hope one way or another, he doesn't have to suffer for my longer.

In the states, healthcare is extremely expensive. It can cost hunderds of thousands for cancer treatment if you don't have private medical insurance or Medicare. Sure, they do have trials that some cancer sufferers can take part it, but their is so much criteria you have to meet in order to get in on them. I think that you should take the advice of the doctor's here, and get in touch with the Irish Cancer Society for further supports. I really feel for you and your family OP, my thoughts are with you during this difficult time.

LegacyUser

My mam is very unwell, don't really want to go into details. But dad is after getting some alternative stuff sent from the US, cellfood and some tea. Of course it's all controversial but it can't do any harm and wont make a difference (in a bad way) to her to try it. Her pain is relatively well managed, when the morphine drip is working, but these things are just to give her longer, and to make her feel better. If it does anything else then great.

I would suggest looking in to alternative treatments. There's millions out there. and you don't have to go to america for it. Kinesiology is one mam's trying too. just search the net for some, you never know what you could find.

I think it's worth a go, as long as it wont make things worse

Victor

Unregistered wrote: »

My mam is very unwell, don't really want to go into details. But dad is after getting some alternative stuff sent from the US, cellfood and some tea.

Be careful not to create false hopes or waste time chasing non-existant cures when the little time left would be put to better use.

Of course it's all controversial but it can't do any harm and wont make a difference (in a bad way) to her to try it.

Just because it says "herbal" doesn't mean it can't affect the pain or other treatments involved. Always talk to the doctors about other treatments that the patient is taking.

LegacyUser

Like many of the posters, I too have lost close relatives to cancer. My initial reaction on hearing that kind of news was like the OP's. I scoured the internet looking for any cure, any chance that the doctors could have gotten it wrong, any herbal / homeopathic / quack cure that I could find. It was my way of coping with the news, and I also realised later, its probably one of the stages of grief.

You will find a million guaranteed cures, and amazing sucess stories. Your friends, relatives, work colleagues, will all have miracle cures that they heard from someone who knows someone. It took a while to realise that if there were some magic cure, everyone would have it, everyone would use it, nobody would die from cancer.

Be wary of those who would make a profit out of people who would try anything for their loved ones.

LegacyUser

dtwhaler wrote: »

Maybe I'm totally wrong and I'll be of a different opinion if/when I get to that situation. Maybe I'll try to cling on to every last bit of life ? I honestly dont know but looking at it right now I'd suggest trying to get your relative to live life as much as they can.

I agree, I think its about quality of life at that stage, and I unfortunately speak from experience of cancer in my family. You really have to think who are you doing this for, you or the person who is ill. If they want to try more treatment then thats their decision, not yours, you say they're very well in other ways, so its a choice they are capable of making. Its hard, but thats why cancer is such a b*tch, because ot doesn't affect just the person who has it but all around them because you have to deal with feeling useless and incapable, and there is no way around it unfortunately.

LegacyUser

i also have a very close relative who was told almost a year ago now that its a case of pain relief and keeping him comfortable. its hard to know what to do when faced with these situations, i consider him a second father and would do anything to help him but like everything else what to do when you get that kind of news is up to the individual. he is an older man and would prefer to just get on with things, do what the doctor tells him and not think about it any more than he needs to which needs to be respected.

maybe the person you know would like to try some alternatives to what the doctor is offering but the important thing to remember is that in the end its their decision, honestly i think myself that getting the most out of the time they have left and making sure they know your there for them is more important than frantically searching for the miracle cure that will save them.