Dad has 4 tumors and the biopsy is tomorrow

mcouture · Regular Joined: 30 Jul 2009 Posts: 10

3 weeks ago my mom noticed dad was "acting funny". He was acting "slow", he had trouble answering questions when he wasn't looking at her. He 'got lost' leaving an appointment at an office building. Then he got lost while driving. This all happened in a week or 2.
Last week he had his CAT scan which showed 3, maybe 4 masses. He was put in steroids and sent home with mom.
After a few days I went and visited them (they live a couple hundred miles away). I noticed him to be really "out-of-sorts". Crying one minute, happy the next, confused next, then fine then getting up to go to the bathroom and getting lost in the kitchen.
Now it is 2 weeks into finding out about the 4 "masses" and his cognitive is really bad...he's really confused.
The biopsy is tomorrow morning and they are in a hotel and he is all out of sorts. I don't know what to do, I will be going to help mom on Saturday when they discharge him. In his current state I feel mom should have some help but I don't know what or how.
I want to say given his confused state that the biopsy surgery may send him into a worse confused state. Would that prompt them to keep him longer than "overnight"? I'm just concerned and confused.
Oh BTW, my dad is 68 and a disabled Vietnam Vet, he was strong and "ok" until about a month ago(in hind sight).
Any tips or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated....

brainman

mcouture, I am so sorry to hear that your father could have brain cancer. Are they really telling you that the biopsy is just an over night thing? I did not stay long but I did stay 5 days following the biopsy. But I was having uncontrolled seizures. As for your father, it just depends on how he does post biopsy.

As for his cognition problem, how much improvement you can expect after the biopsy is minor since the will not remove all of the cancer... just a sample to make sure that it is indeed a cancer and to stage it.

If your father indeed has four separate tumors, that does not sound like a primary brain cancer. Most primary brain cancers do not metastasize... not even to other parts of the brain. If he has four separate tumors, they may be metastatic growth of a cancer somewhere else in his body. If I were you, I would clarify the issue of how many and is their a bridge that connect them.

You and especially your father are in my thoughts and prayers.
_________________
Jim
Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2405
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2528
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
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Twitter: @JimHawkins54

mcouture · Regular Joined: 30 Jul 2009 Posts: 10

Well my dad had his biopsy. Pathology says they got "something" but won't (or couldn't) tell us what. They are saying results within the week.

Dad seems to be doing 'ok'. He is still as confused as ever.

In all of this I have a question for anyone here.....

My dad's first MRI was July 14th and then 3 CAT scans on July 16th.
On July 30th he saw his primary care doctor for review/status.
July 31st was the biopsy.

I saw my dad in May, talked with him a few times on the phone since then. I then visited him on July 23rd and noticed a remarkable change in his cognitive functions. Due to work/life I haven't visited him since but he can't hold a conversation over the phone anymore and from what mom says he is going downhill fast. I going to visit for a couple days starting tonight.

Sorry for the long-winded second post here.....

My question is is this a normal schedule from the part of the healthcare community? It will be 3 weeks before any true diagnosis and to date there is no support system helping my mom. The only thing they have done was schedule tests and give him steroids.

This feels painfully slow in process and in the meantime my dad went from normal functioning person to a 5 year old who cannot bath or dress himself without guidance.

brainman

mcouture, it does sound like things are moving along at a normal pace. Waiting on those results can be nail biting times. My mother went for 3 weeks from the ER visit to diagnosis.

I am sorry that you cannot be with him. I was blessed that I could be with both of my parents during their lasts months. With my mother, I had a great boss who was very flexible with my work schedule. With my father, I was out of a job. I hope you can be with your father soon.
_________________
Jim
Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2405
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2528
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 3: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Twitter: @JimHawkins54

mcouture · Regular Joined: 30 Jul 2009 Posts: 10

brainman - thanks for the info. sounds like we're on the same flight-plan (about 3 weeks to diagnosis).

...will post more info here when I know more....

mcouture · Regular Joined: 30 Jul 2009 Posts: 10

Just got the word today.

Dad has: anaplastic astrocytoma, stage 3

We're meeting with radiology on Monday. Anyone with similar?

brainman

Hi mcouture, I am glad that you have more information now. Mine cancer is a grade III as well but it is an Olygodendroglioma. I had surgery in 2005 followed by steriotacktic radiation.

The exact treatment option for your father will depend on the tumors size and exact location. If possible, I could strongly consider surgery... possibly with some chemotherapy first... followed by radiation to the tumor bed to kill any remaining cancer cells. Of course, as I said, his options will depend on the size and location.

Did they confirm 4 separate tumors? If that is the case, that would pretty much rule out all that I said. The only option will be chemotherapy. The gold standard these days is Temodar (generic name Temozolomide).
_________________
Jim
Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2405
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2528
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 3: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Twitter: @JimHawkins54

mcouture · Regular Joined: 30 Jul 2009 Posts: 10

I'm getting more info slowly but surely on this....

yes, confirmed 4 tumors
apparently the neurosurgeon told him that surgery is not an option. Radiation only.

recap of deficits are:

generally weak
forgetful
gets lost inside the house
right side much lost mobility

So the million dollar question is what will radiation only buy? and what would a prognosis be with this type of treatment. How long would we be able to keep him 'home' until he worsens enough to be hospitalized or will that even happen?

So many questions so little time to take it all in.....

brainman

What the radiation will get him really depends on the grade of the cancer. I assume that since he has 4 tumors that he will receive whole brain radiation. Whole brain radiation does have a higher risk of damaging healthy brain cells. The exact response your father will have depends on how many and what area of healthy cells are most affected.

How much time and quality of life WBR will give him also depends on the grade. If it is a low grade (I-III) he is looking at a few more years. Higher than a III maybe a few more months. It really is hard to tell. What I often tell people about a prognosis is that it is an educated guess. I do like to know my prognosis but only in order to set some realistic goals for whatever time I have left. After that, I just try to live one day at a time working to achieve those goals. When my father was dying, all that his goal could be were very limited ones. I would ask him each day: "What would you like to do today?" Then I would help him try to do those things. Sometimes it was a simple as writing an email to a friend of his. I used to think of myself as his personal dream factory Smile

. I like to think that I helped bring some degree of quality of live to his remaining days.
_________________
Jim
Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2405
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2528
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 3: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Twitter: @JimHawkins54

mcouture · Regular Joined: 30 Jul 2009 Posts: 10

update -

external beam radiation and chemo (timodar) will be the course of action.

The 4 tumors are most likely 1 tumor pictured at just the right cross-section to 'look' like 4 tumors. The tumor is large, deep and diffuse, mostly on the left side but crossing over to the right. It doesn't light up on the MRI(like a stage 4 tumor would) but does have some stage 4 qualities. They are still calling it a stage 3 though....

Prognosis is 1 - 2 or 1 - 3 years.

brainman

Hi mcouture,

I have suspected all along that it was just one big tumor with 4 centers of major growth. It does sound like it is on the upper edge of a grade III. Thank you for the update. You and your father continue to be in my thoughts and prayers.
_________________
Jim
Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2405
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2528
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 3: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Twitter: @JimHawkins54

Sad for Dad · Regular Joined: 20 Jul 2009 Posts: 11

mcouture,

First and foremost, know that your Dad, you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.

Your note seems so surreal to me. My Father was diagnosted a brain tumour on June 12th and after 7 weeks and 3 days passed away.

My Father unlike your Dad was very lucky to get his results right after the surgery. Apparently there was a pathologist to look at the sample immediately after it was taken.

Like you Dad, in a very short time, he forgot his phone number, how to use the remote for the TV and even lost. The one thing I keep close to my heart is that he always knew who I was until his last breath.

My Dad had the option of radition but because he was a stage 4, they said it would only buy him about a month and chemo was not an option.

I wish you all the best during this very trying time. All I can say is like you, I was about 2 hours away from my Dad and I left my home and work to go and be with him and that last week we spent together was gold.

Good luck and keep us posted on his progress.

mcouture · Regular Joined: 30 Jul 2009 Posts: 10

It's been a couple weeks on radiation/chemo now and dad seems to be 'holding his own'. His right side weakness is still there and he needs a little direction now and then (forgets and gets lost) but his mind is still there; and knows who we all are still.

4 days ago the doctors reduced his steroids a little and he immediately started to get weakness on the left side. They re-uped the steriods but his weakness is still there. He can walk only with a walker or with assistance.

He's got a little over 2 weeks left of radiation. We're all hoping that the radiation will reduce the tumor so he can have some better quality of life. This is a man who was chopping/stacking wood just months ago and now can barely walk.

Oh well....thought I'd just type here what I was thinking....

brainman

Thank you for the update. I know how hard it was for me to see my parents becoming so dependent on others for almost everything. I feel for you Sad

. It does sound like he is doing as well as can be expected. I hope he does have more quality time after the radiation.
_________________
Jim
Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2405
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2528
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 3: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Twitter: @JimHawkins54

mcouture · Regular Joined: 30 Jul 2009 Posts: 10

Just another update, for the past week or so dad's been having feet/ankle swelling. Just today they tested his blood levels and said his sodium levels are low (135 I think). So doing a Google search found the term Hyponatremia.
Is this something that is 'normal' due to the cancer? Is this a normal progression as he worsens? Or is he just "lucky" Rolling Eyes

\

Thanks for all the support here everyone - I hope to be able to return the favor one day...

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