Guest GUEST2 Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 My dad has stage 4 lc with met to brain. On chemo but no shrinkage, stable only. Noticed the doctors are also CT scanning his stomach region as welll as the lung. Do you think they suspect met to the stomach now? Second hand hear his stomach is becoming swollen......he doesn't let people come to the doctor with him so it is difficult to hear what the doctors are saying and have piece meal the stuff he relays....very frustrating....... Anyway, is that normal for lung cancer to met to the stomach or are they just scanning just to scan.. Thanks for the help it has been a hell of a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karenl Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 Hi Sorry you're having such a rough time of it. I'm not sure about stomach mets, but I think mets can occur in glands around the stomach region. I'm sure there are others on the board who will be able to give you more accurate info. I hope things turn around for you soon. Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna G Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 The most common sites for any cancer to spread to are Liver, Lung, Brain, Bone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MO_Sugar Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 My CT scans always include the abdomen. They look at the liver (I have mets there now). I doubt if it is his "stomach" but anything is possible I guess. Prayers for answers for you coming your way. God Bless, MO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 Hopefully it is nothing. As Donna said the most likely met he would be looking for is a liver met. It would probably be better to have a stomach met than liver - the liver performs 100s of functions. Abstract Over a period of about 1.5 years between September 1999 and April 2000, three cases of lung cancer that metastasized to the stomach and duodenum were encountered. Case 1 was a 74-year-old man with lung cancer at stage IV. During chemotherapy, he passed tarry feces, which led to an endoscopic examination. Subsequently, submucosal tumorous nodules were recognized in the stomach and descending portion of the duodenum, which were diagnosed as metastases. Case 2, a 59-year-old man, underwent radiotherapy for treatment of lung cancer at stage IV. He developed obstructive jaundice 15 months later and, following percutaneous drainage to correct the icteric condition, endoscopic examination was conducted. A 5-cm submucosal tumor was found at the descending portion of the duodenum and a diagnosis of obstructive jaundice caused by a duodenal metastasis was given. Case 3, an 81-year-old male with stage IIIb lung cancer had been receiving oral Tegafur uracil. Because of hypochondriac pain that had lasted for 2 weeks, an endoscopic examination was conducted. A tumorous lesion was discovered in the horizontal part of the duodenum, which proved to be a metastasis. Metastasis of a lung cancer to the digestive system is rare: gastric metastasis is only 4.5% and metastasis to the small intestine, 5.8%. However, our experience suggests that metastases to the digestive system occur more frequently than reports would indicate. Endoscopic screening should be aggressively used, not only for those cases that develop subjective symptoms, but also for the asymptomatic cases to assess accuracy in staging, which may contribute to choosing the most appropriate therapeutic plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norme Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 I can't imagine not going to the dr with my father when he had lc. I know your father probably says he doesn't need anyone but he really does. Why don't you try meeting him there the next time. Two heads are so much better then one when discussing this. Has you dad had whole head radiation or the other two options there are out there for mets to the brain? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GUEST2 Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 Wish it was that easy. My dad is a very difficult man and WILL NOT let anyone come with him. Went with him to the "big time doctors" but since then he won't let people come. A totally pain in the *ss situation. Obviously, he doesn't want to deal with it and he can relay what he wants to relay and not "think" about the rest. Cause if we knew the full story then he would have to deal with it. No amount of talking will change his mind.....stuck hearing it second hand and putting the pieces together to understand what is going on and how best to help him. Offer my suggestions softly, hoping that he takes a few of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norme Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 Has your dad had any treatments. has he had whole head radiation? has he had any chemo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norme Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 Dumb me, i just saw he is taking chemo. but again, what about the brain, did he get any treatments. there are three things that can be done for brain mets, whole head, gamma knife and for the life of me i can't think of the third but someone will if you what to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MO_Sugar Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 Tell your Dad he is not alone and there are over 900 "Family Members" who would love to meet him and help him through this! Maybe he will talk to someone NOT involved so closely?? God Bless, MO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest2 Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 He had localized radiation to the head. After I argued with the dcts. 2nd oppinion doctors wanted radiation first then try chemo. Treatment doctors back home wanted to do chemo only. Was a complete pain in the behind. The treatment dcts were all excited to get him in a study rather than deal with the brain met. Which is ironic because the study was dropped. Anyway, it is a pain because my dad doesn't always tell the dcts the whole truth and he only relays what he feels like telling. Mostly I have to let it be for my own sanity unless there is a big mistake (like the no radiation to the brain) The only reason I know it was a mistake was because the 2nd oppinion doctors begged me to intervene and call the treatment dctors. UGH! I will tell you, I would wish all this bs on no one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 I think the usual treatment when a brain met occurs is to stop the other treatment and treat the brain first. That is what was done with my mom and alot of people on this board Most chemo does not cross the blood-brain barrier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest2 Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 That is what I told the idiot Treatment Dcts. (What the 2nd Oppinion dcts told me, and gave me the research to quote) After I begged and begged, they finally conceeded and said they would do it. But it was a long two days cause the dcts got my dad and sibiling to belive that you had to treat the whole body first rather than the brain. The 2nd oppinion dcts said who the heck cares about a tumor in your toe if you have a tumor in the brain that is going to make you blind or in a coma. My sibiling said I was a big know it all and turned ugly and my dad tends to side with her. However, he doesn't tell her the full truth either, so it is a messed up situation. But in the end my dad isn't blind and still has strong mental function and the radiation shrunk the tumor more and he tolerated the radation very well. Where as the 5 rounds of chemo, he had after radiation, hasn't shrunk or had any affect the lung tumor and the chemo is starting to react badly. So, I guess the proof is in the dessert as to which doctors (treatment vrs 2nd oppnion) were right. Since then, I have turned in my keys and driving to God, and asked him to drive the car for the rest of the way cause I am can't. You can't help someone that doesn't want to be helped and is hostile. And I can only do so much even though it breaks my heart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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