adrenal cancer spread to lung

mbk07 · New User Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 4

Can anyone give me any information on this? My mother who is 82 had a growth on her adrenal gland and then later spread to both lungs. She is on chemo by mouth every day and doctor said surgery was out of the question for her... This cancer spread to lung five years ago.

sven89 · New User Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 2

Hi

This cancer is called pheochromocytoma (I think) and I have just been diagnosed with the same. It has also spread to the lungs.

Can you let me know how your mother is going with the chemo? Also, I have done a lot of research on this as it is very rare - has she had an MIBG scan and where is she being treated? Finally, did she have any symptoms and how was this found?

Maybe we can help each other?

Regards
Chris

mbk07 · New User Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 4

Chris, My mom's only symptom was being a little tired, nothing extraordinary. She had the tumor removed from her adrenal gland seven years ago, and two years later while doing a MRI to check on it found the lung cancer. She had no symptoms of lung cancer whatsoever.
She has it in both lungs, but in one lung it is almost gone. She takes chemo by mouth (six pills a day) which make her sick if she does not eat enough. She really has no pain except occasionally in her back. Her biggest problem is being tired and she has trouble keeping her red blood cell count up. She has had to have four blood transfusions. She also has heart problems and had a heart attack two years ago and had four stints put in with no complications. As far as I know, she has only had MRI's and CAT scans. Her doctor is Dr. Puckett in Stillwater, Ok. She has never had the drip chemo, only the oral pills. She is 83 and a fighter so her case may not be typical. She was in very good health before this, and she was not a smoker. Please keep in touch and let me know what you find out. I tried to send you an email but it came back.

sven89 · New User Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 2

Hi

The important thing to remember is that what your mother has is not 'lung cancer' it is adrenal cancer which has spread to the lung - I think there is a big difference.

It seems like the chemo is having some effect which is good - I am in the process of seeing whether I am eligible for MIBG which is radiotherapy. If not I will ask about drug regimes (including thalidomide and octreotride (?) ) before chemo.

If you want to email me the address is christopher_bateson@hotmail.com and we can chat more.

Where are you based?

Chris

P.S. another good source of support is http://p078.ezboard.com/fpheochromocytomasupportboardwelcometopheosupport

	Cancer Forums Forum Index -> Lung Cancer Forum	All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Page 1 of 1

A website for discussions about any type of cancer, including lung cancer, breast cancer, mesothelioma, prostate cancer, laryngeal cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and others