How long? Mum diagnosed with stage 4 cancer earlier this year and it seems to be getting worse. Doctors won't give us a time frame

My 88 year old mum got diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in her liver, lung and hip bone back in April, she had been experiencing slight symptoms late last year. She is currently in hospital after a fall and she had a scan on Monday which revealed that the tumours in her liver had increased in size & number, the hip tumour had increased in size and fractured her hip, and she had a new tumour on her spine which had caused a fracture and was in danger of affecting her spinal cord so she was given a blast of radiotherapy. She hasn’t had any other cancer treatments (her wish) and has been on morphine since mid June. To me it sounds like this aggressive cancer is very severe but the doctors will not give us a ballpark of how long she might live - can anyone give a ballpark of how long?

  • Hello Tully-Murphy and thanks for posting

    I'm sorry to read about your mum’s situation. This must be a difficult time for you both.

    I can appreciate you wanting to know more about her prognosis. This is really a question best answered by your mum's specialist team as they are familiar with all her medical details and will know so much more about her individual situation.

    Even then, it is important to remember that if they were able to discuss this with you, any estimate they may give is only a guide. No one can predict exactly what will happen as cancer behaves differently in every person.

    I appreciate that uncertainty can be one of the hardest things to cope with. You are welcome to give us a ring if you would like to talk any of this over. The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

    Best wishes,

    Celene