Really strong but terrified daughter

Hello

I am new to the site and im really hoping some of you could give a little advise, or a lot!

Firstly can i just say that you are all amazing people, the chats and stories i have read have made me cry and made me smile, it makes me feel i am not alone through the worst time in my life.

Ok so my story. In a nut shell my Dad has Brain cancer, my best friend, my hero, my world. He was diagnosed on Friday. Cut a long story short i notice he was spilling things and his memory was not to good and getting a little clumpsy on his feet, had an MRI and he has a large mass on the left hand side of his brain at the back and the doctor has put him on steriods. He had lung cancer back in October, they removed the upper lobe of the lung and we got our miracle! But, it has spread!

Today we have had xrays to see if there is further spreading and we are awaiting these results

The thing i would like to ask, i have read in many places now that most cancer patients over the age of 70 have little or no chance of recovery. I know it depends on where how quick and his overall health but i was wondering if someone can at least give me any advise? I am the strong one in my family and i am the one who needs to know what we are looking at.

Thank you to anyone in advance, my love to you and your loved ones xx

Amanda

CRUK Nurse Celene over 7 years ago

Hello Amanda and thanks for your post
I’m sorry to learn about your dad. This must be a very difficult time for you both.
The biggest risk for developing cancer is increasing age, half of all new cases of cancer in the UK are in people aged 70 or over. You can read more about this is by clicking here.
The earlier a cancer is found the less likely it is to spread through the body. But some cancers don’t have any obvious stand out symptoms when they are still small, so sadly when they are first picked up they are already advanced, and as you know advanced disease is much harder to treat. I’m not sure if your dad is well enough to have treatment. Before any treatment is considered the risks of it causing harm are always weighed up against the possible benefits and the current general health and fitness of the patient.
Age itself should not be a barrier to receiving treatment. But many elderly people can have health problems such as a reduced kidney, liver and heart function. This may prevent them from being offered certain types of treatment. If this is the case, their doctor would explain the range of treatments that are available and why particular treatments may not be effective.
So your dad’s specialist team will weigh up the potential risks and benefits of treatments as well as how this would affect his quality of life. Treatment for advanced cancer is aimed at trying to keep the cancer under control for as long as possible. By how much will depend on his general health, how fast growing the cancer is and how well his cancer responds to any treatment.
I wonder if your dad has a Macmillan or palliative nurse (from a local hospice or community team involved in his care). Their area of expertise is advising on cancer symptoms as well as offering patients and family emotional support. You can read more about their role by clicking here . If he would like this support then his GP or the hospital can refer him.
I hope this helps at this difficult time. If you would prefer to speak to one of the nurses directly, you can telephone us on 0808 800 4040. We are here from Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm.
Kind regards,
Celene
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