Sunday, July 4, 2010

If small cell lung cancer has spread to the brain, is the prognosis dim

If small cell lung cancer has spread to the brain, is the prognosis dim?
Stage 4 small cell has just been diagnosed and was found on the brain at diagnosis. Is it pretty much a time to make someone comfortable and prepared? Or does chemo and radiation sometimes work even if it is in stage 4 or is that just a futile effort to preserve life?
Cancer - 3 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
To my knowledge, any lung cancer that has metastasized to other organs is extremely dangerous. I would agree that you should prepare yourself, at least mentally, for the possibility of a poor outcome. I am not a doctor. Just speaking from experience with a family member. You should have this discussion with your family physician. You can only make these decisions with full disclosure about the condition of the patient.
2 :
There are no definate answers to questions like thee - each case is different. However in most cancers, if the disease has spread elsewhere then it usually lowers the prognosis (excluding localised lymph node spread). Generally spread to the brain from the lung is not a good sign but chemo or radiation may well ease symptoms and extend life expectancy. These things can be very difficult and often doctors will not give definitive answers because they just don't know.
3 :
Stage 4 lung cancer is not curable and every doctor knows this. Treatment at this point is to prolong life and decrease symptoms.

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