Chemo or hospice

Terumi · New User Joined: 09 Nov 2005 Posts: 1

My 73 year old mom was diagnosed on 11/4 with stage iv NSC lung cancer that has traveled to the liver, ribs and blood vessels. For the past month, she has complained of severe backache and & her internist said it was muscle aches. Rushed her to the ER because of the pain & found out she has cancer. Currently in the hospital. Oncologist said that she has less than 3 months to live & is recommending home hospice due to her fraility. She has lost 10 lbs. since Sept. (was 100 lbs), she has no appetite (only eats tablespoons at each meal), is on oxygen & has been immobile since the backaches started. She wants to fight, but doesn't know if she can handle the chemo.

Are the side affects from chemo worth it? I don't want her suffer anymore. She has been through so much pain as it is. With home hospice she will medicated, but will be sleeping her time away. Chemo vs. hospice -it's a difficult choice. For those who have been through a similar experience, does her current health status look as if the end is near?

LauraS · New User Joined: 03 Nov 2005 Posts: 4

Terumi,

Sorry to hear about your mom! My mom (age 63) was also diagnosed with NSC lung cancer. This was in 1996. She went through 6 weeks of chemo which was not at all helpful. It made her incredibly tired, sick, unable to eat, lost weight, lost hair, lost hope. After treatment she was given 6 weeks to live. If she could do it over, she never would have gone through with the chemo. It made a bad situation much worse.

That being said. . . treatments have improved considerably since then. I was also diagnosed with NSC lung cancer last August (2004). I went through surgery and chemo and am doing pretty well. I was very tired and nauseaus and lost my hair, but nothing like what my mom experienced. I was not stage IV. I had reservations about the chemo but, so far, I'm not unhappy with my decision.

Every situation is different. Your decision is a difficult one. Have you considered a second opinion? I wish your mom (and you) the best.

leo · Site Admin Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 1574

Hello

Each patient has to make a decision based on the options, as you know. There are certainly different "levels" of chemotherapy, if you will. The stronger treatments could possibly make your mother sicker and even cause her to pass away sooner. This is basically due to her frailty. There are some newer chemotherapy agents such as Tarceva that might help some, and these are not difficult to tolerate. Like I said it *might* help, but it is a very personal decision. She can take that at home, as it is a pill, taken once a day. I have seen that given to other patients, but I can't give this recommendation here, as this should be done by your doctor, of course. On the other hand, hospice is also not unreasonable, given the circumstances. You should ask your physician about the options.

best regards,
Dr. Leo F
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Leonardo F - Webmaster Cancer Forums
Disclaimer: this information is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice.

adr22367 · Experienced user Joined: 17 May 2005 Posts: 78

My Dad was diagnoses with stage 4 nsc over a year ago, tried Tarceva, it did nothing (tumors actually grew). He was then on Carboplatin with something else, (just can't think of the name now), 3 tumors stayed the same, one grew very slightly. He's now on Alimta, had 2 treatments, goes for another in 2 weeks, and then for a CAT scan to see how this chemo is working. He still works full time, but does get very tired for about 2 days after the treatment. He takes an anti-nausea pill, and it does work.

TracyS · Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 9:49 am Post subject: Re: Chemo or hospice

My Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1990....after a lumpectomy and chemo she had no symptoms until 1996. She (now 66) has cancer pretty much everywhere (its not visible though) and they said several years ago she only had a few months to live. She has terminal cancer....but the treatments hold it at bay to varying degrees.

Chemo isnt as bad as it used to be (they have nausea pills and other pain relief to control feeling ill bit), radiotherapy is also not too bad....just an x-ray really. Mum did suffer from mouth abcesses due to numbness in her face which required radiotherapybut that was cleared up...so she could eat again. She such a frail rake now but is eating everything she couldnt before. She complains that NOW she has a killer body...when she was always such a chubby...and she too old/ill to flaunt it. She has no hair but loves the wig....better than she ever liked her own hair...lol.

It depends on how she is feeling generally. If she wants to live....she may as well go through the motions and see if it works. If she's a depressed type 73 year old who has little to live for, has no interests or friends...then we all have to die sometime...so perhaps she shouldnt try harder to stick around?

And believe me I dont mean that in a nasty way at all.....I just mean you need to tell her that chemo and radiotherapy are not so aweful these days and may keep her around for months or years...but if she wants to let go....dont force her to do something she may not be willing to. Not all older folks want to live forever...but for those that do want to fight...back them all the way.

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