Cancer Treatment Questions

1. Can cancer be treated as aggressively if you have COPD?

   In most cases, having COPD shouldn't affect how aggressively doctors can treat cancer. A big European comparative study was completed recently asking and answering this exact question. What the researchers concluded was that having COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) did not in most cases influence the type of treatment doctors chose for patients...
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2. Is chemo effective in treating squarmous cell cancer of the vulva?

   Squamous cell cancer of the vulva is treated differently depending on the stage and the size of the tumor area. You need to have a thorough discussion of treatment options with your doctor and ask if chemotherapy will be a component in your treatment. Early stage cancers of the vulva are typically treated with excision or laser surgery...
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3. Doctor recommends quitting chemo. Is this common?

   It sounds like your doctor did not explain clearly and you need to speak to her again and ask for clarification. Doctors recommend stopping chemo for several reasons. It may be that your body is not tolerating the chemotherapy well and the doctor wants you to take a break for healing...
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4. What questions should you ask doctor about what is going to happen if mother stops chemo?

   There are two considerations here. The first is what questions to ask in front of your mother and the other is what questions to ask without her present. These may vary a little depending on how strong and inquisitive your mother is. In front of the mother I would recommend:
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5. When the doctor prescribes a narcotic painkiller, don't we need to worry about addiction?

   No, at this point you don't need to worry about addiction. The concern about painkillers and addiction is actually one of the biggest myths about pain management when it comes to serious diseases like cancer. When someone is in serious pain, pain medication functions differently in the body than when someone who's not in pain takes it...
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6. What is platinum chemo?

   Platinum chemotherapy is the term for treatment with one of the chemotherapy drugs that contain derivatives of the metal platinum. The platinum damages the DNA of the cancer cells and stops them from dividing. The oldest platinum chemotherapy drug is Cisplatin; newer drugs Carboplatin and Oxaliplatin were developed to have fewer side effects...
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7. What should I feed my dad to help him keep weight on?

   Many cancer patients have an ongoing struggle with nausea, loss of appetite, and weight loss. It's really hard to see your dad lose weight as he battles cancer. Here are some ways to help your dad prevent and treat nausea. As far as appetite goes, talk to your father about what appeals to him; he's more likely to eat if it's something he wants...
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8. My mom had an in-situ mass removed and we're reluctant for her to do radiation therapy. Thoughts?

   The most important point is to discuss these ideas with your mother to see what her priorities and goals of care are. For many people, the balance between quality of life with length of life is important to think about and discuss. As people age, their health and energy deteriorate slowly or quickly, depending on the person...
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9. How can I get the doctor to be more responsive when my mother has side effects from chemotherapy?

   I hear this question all the time from family members, because so often we don't have a personal relationship with our doctors anymore. As a caregiver, you are your parent's representative, and you may have to be very assertive about asking the doctor to help you provide good care.
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10. How do we decide when to stop chemotherapy that's not working?

    This is a very hard conversation to have, when the doctor acknowledges that cancer treatment is no longer achieving results. You and your father have to weigh the negative aspects of treatment, such as uncomfortable and painful side effects, against your father's need to keep seeking a cure...
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11. Is there a cure for brain cancer?

    There is not any ''cure'' for brain cancer. If it is caught in the early stage, it is possible to remove the cancerous tissue and make attempts to keep it from coming back. Usual treatment is surgery and radiation. Later appointments will need to be scheduled to make sure the cancer stays in remission...
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12. How does Genzar chemotherapy work, and what is the difference between singular dose and combination chemo treatments?

    may name is joe and iam elsa husband she is been sufering whih lung cancer after breast cancer on 2001 and stay till 2009, came back in her longs, since then dr. is been using gemzar and taxotere one week both then nex week texotere and rest for 2 weeks and keep the cyclo and after scan test he said...
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