Cancer treatment / options

Hello, 

my mum was diagnosed in September with adrenal and kidney cancer.

One kidney but both adrenal glands.

she had surgery to removed her kidney and adrenal gland but she has still one remaining adrenal gland.

she had one round of immunotherapy and the tumour has stopped growing however they are just very vague on things which is sending my mum down a rabbit hole with anxiety 

they have said the can see a “tiny dot” now on her lungs which could be cancer but have also told my mum they think the tumour on her adrenal gland in dead? 
her CRP dropped significantly but has raised again to above what it was before treatment.

what I want to know is, 

can the CRP be raised due to treatment knocking her immune system?

how would they know if the tumour is “dead” 

Can it still spread if it’s dead?

and lastly is there other options after immunotherapy 

as I appreciate as a healthcare professional myself that it’s hard to comment on individual cases but a better understanding would be great 

thank you in advance 

  • Hello and thanks for your post

    I'm sorry to read about what's been happening with your mum.

    Unfortunately as nurses here we cannot give a medical opinion or recommend treatments as we aren't directly involved in your mum's care. But I hope the following  information will be of some help.

    CRP levels above the normal range can be a sign of inflammation as it is an inflammatory marker. But doctors often call them non specific as they don't show what is causing the inflammation. Quite a few medical conditions can cause an increase in inflammatory markers and while cancer can sometimes be one of them, it isn't always the case.

    When your mum's doctors referred to her tumour being dead I presume they meant that her cancer is not active at the moment. But they will have to clarify this for you. Cancer has the ability to grow and spread again but it doesn't mean that it definitely will.

    Please get back to us if you need any more information or support.  You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline.  The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

    Kind regards,

    Celene