Brain Cancer Life Expectancy

Question: After being diagnosed with brain cancer, how long is life expectancy? Once someone is diagnosed with brain cancer, how long do they generally live (on average). Let's say that the cancer has progressed significantly. How many months or years would someone have to live?

Answer: There are a variety of factors. Some primary tumors, such as a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) have a life expectancy of less than a year sometimes only a few months. However, we have had patients that have survived with aggressive treatment, against the odds, for a number of years. Some other low grade tumors, such as an astrocytoma or or oligodendroglioma have a much longer life expectancy with treatment, well over five years. There are other non-malignant tumors that do not particularly affect life expectancy. On the other hand if the cancer in the brain is a metastatic spread of the disease to the brain from a primary tumor, that can significantly decrease any life expectancy. In this case it is dependent on how far the disease has spread and whether it has infiltrated other organs or the skeletal system. Again, aggressive treatment can often prolong life for a number of years if the cancer responds and if it is caught early, if not, it can be a little as a few months.

Question: What is the life expectancy when cancer spreads to the brain?

Answer: Without even knowing at a minimum what kind of cancer you are referring to it is impossible to answer your question. You cannot compare one kind of cancer with another it just doesn’t work that way as they all have their own behaviors.

Question: Life expectancy of terminally ill Cancer Patient? If you were diagnosed with terminal Brain Cancer 4 months ago, and had already had Lung Cancer and secondary Bowel Cancer. Was currently recieving Radiotherapy, but knows it's uncurable. In their mid 50's. What might the life expectancy be?

Answer: According to my scientific calculations, 7 weeks at most.

Question: brain cancer...? My friend has brain cancer. He is only 17. He is on chemo theropy and he had a surgury. He doesn't come to school anymore because of him being sick. but he still is able to do things normally. I don't know anything about brain cancer... so what is the over all life expectancy..and effectiveness of surgury and chemo? i know it varies...but still..

Answer: I'm really sorry to hear about your friend. I have two family friends with brain cancer. Brain cancer is essentially a tumor that grows in your brain. You can learn more about it here: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/braincancer.html and here: http://www.medicinenet.com/brain_tumor/article.htm The surgery comes first; the doctors want to remove as much of the malignant tumor as quickly as possible. Then chemotherapy begins in order to keep the patient's cancer from "coming back" - it's like getting it at its source - or else more tumors can grow and/or the cancer can spread to other parts of the body. Yes, it does vary, and I hope your friend recovers fully. It depends on how "early" they caught the cancer and whether they were able to remove all or some of the malignant tumor. In one friend's case, they couldn't remove all of the tumor because the surgery was too risky and had a chance of causing permanent and immediate brain damage. In another friend's case, I think they were able to remove the entire tumor and he seems to be recovering well. Even after recovery, and if the cancer is completely removed or in "remission," there is still unfortunately a chance the cancer will "come back." Chemotherapy not only kills the "bad" cancer cells, but it also kills good cells as well, which can lead to a drop in the immune system and the body's overall health. Chemotherapy is a very rough process on the body, which is why it's easy to get sick when you're going through it. I really hope your friend recovers fully.

Question: started with uterus cancer now have a tumor in on the brain, what is my life expectancy?

Answer: This depends a great deal on how you treat yourself. Gaining knowledge is very important. The following will get you on your way to extending life expectancy. I have always believed that the mainstream medical industry is not interested in finding a cure for cancer because it makes too much profit with its present barbarous methods. Eventually, I came across a detailed report which agreed with my findings, and I have included it in my web page at http://dgwa1.fortunecity.com/body/cancer.html By reading this report, you will also convince yourself that it is best to ignore the mainstream cancer industry, and seek alternative cures. Also you should bear in mind that the medical industry will do anything to protect its profitable position, including disparaging alternative healers or even creating bogus court cases. I believe that cancer is a whole body thing, which in 80 percent of cases manifests itself by producing symptoms in the weaker parts of the body, and therefore appearing localised. It is this treatment of symptoms instead of cause which creates the profitable, yet non-successful approach of mainstream medicine. Some cures are listed on the web page too. It is therefore obvious that a holistic approach is required, based on cleansing, diet, exercise and debugging. CLEANSING The best way of cleansing is to fast. http://www.phifoundation.org/menses.html http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.asp?ID=1996 but if a patient is too weak for that, or does not fancy the idea, then alternative cleanses are available. Colon Cleanse http://www.soundfeelings.com/free/colon_cleansing.htm#recipe Bowel cleanse http://www.curezone.com/schulze/herbal_colon_cleanse_1_2.asp kidney cleanse http://www.curezone.com/cleanse/kidney/default.asp http://www.ehow.com/how_12678_kidney-cleansing-fast.html http://www.falconblanco.com/health/cleansing/kidney.html http://www.healingdaily.com/colon-kidney-detoxification.htm http://www.healthfree.com/cleansing_programs_kidney.html Liver cleanse http://www.drclark.net/en/drclark_protocol/illnesses/liver_cleanse.php Gallbladder cleanse http://www.curezone.com/cleanse/liver/default.asp http://www.curezone.com/cleanse/liver/huldas_recipe.asp Pancreas cleanse http://curezone.com/dis/1.asp?C0=261 DIET, The best diet is vegetarian, avoiding all processed, frozen or micro-waved foods and drinks, and based on fresh fruit, fresh vegetables - preferably organic, nuts and seeds. Drinks should be clean water or freshly squeezed orange juice. Many researchers promote the benefits of vitamin B17 as a healer. this can be found in the following foods: Apple seeds, alfalfa sprouts, apricot kernels, bamboo shoots, barley, beet tops, bitter almond, blackberries, boysenberries, brewer’s yeast, brown rice, buckwheat, cashews, cherry kernels, cranberries, currants, fava beans, flax seeds, garbanzo beans, gooseberries, huckleberries, lentils, lima beans, linseed meat, loganberries, macadamia nuts, millet, millet seed, peach kernels, pecans, plum kernels, quince, raspberries, sorghum cane syrup, spinach, sprouts (alfalfa, lentil, mung bean, buckwheat, garbanzo), strawberries, walnuts, watercress, yams. A commercial preparation of B17 is available called Laetrile. EXERCISE Exercise should be sufficient to create a sweat, but not sufficient to make you gasp for breath or feel over-tired. About one hours exercise every day is best. DEBUGGING There are various theories about how bugs create cancer. Hulda Clark suggests that parasites are the cause, and that they can be disposed of by using a zapper. Zappers are available from Super Zapper DeLuxe http://www.drclark.net Clark Zapper with amazing features get a free CD ROM http://www.paradevices.com/zapper_works.html Terminator Crystal Orgone Zapper Blood Purification Parasite Solution Electrical stimulation devices for blood purification, parasites, relaxation, and addictions. http://www.elixa.com/estim/zap.htm High frequency parasite zapper. Includes product description and benefits. http://www.ess-in.com/

Question: Glioblastoma IV Brain Cancer What To Expect? My best friend has been diagnosed with this type of tumor and I don't know how to talk to her about it. She is hoping for a cure, as we all are. I want to know what to expect and what I should do to make her more comfortable. I want to talk realistically about this with her, but she doesn't seem to want to talk about it. I just need help in trying to understand what I should expect with this type of cancer and what the life expectancy is of someone who has this and what I can do to help.

Answer: She'll need someone to just help her out after her surgery and during her radiation and chemo. That takes a lot out of you. If she's had seizures, she won't be able to drive for at least 6 months after her last seizure. So she'll need someone to drive her when her treatment sessions are all set up. The temozolomide paragraph below me is pretty much standard for all brain tumors. A low dose is used with radiation to make the radiation more effective.

Question: metastatic brain cancer? I was wondering if anybody could give me some insight on life expectancy on this type of brain cancer. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer approx. 3 years ago. About a year and a half ago they had found a mass in her brain. They did surgery which removed most of it and shrunk most of it down with radiation. They then did numerous tests and what not and found cancer in several more areas in her body. So for the past year and a half they have been doing chemotherapy with a roller coaster of success. They would test her spinal fluid one week and it wouldn't show much then another it would show more cells. Now within the past couple months she has really deteriorated, her motor skills are fading along with bodily functions. Last week they found more cancer (7 spots) on her brain again. There has been so much damage done to her with chemo and radiation they don't want to do anymore treatments just to make her worse than she already is. My mom is fading fast and nobody wants to give answers as to how long. Maybe it's because they just don't know but if anybody out there has been through something similar or anybody is in the field and knows some statistics that would be great. She will be in a better place when this is all said an done but it's hard not having the answers. Thanks for your time and patience

Answer: It doesn’t sound like your mom has brain cancer. Brain cancer does not often metastasize. It sounds more like she has metastatic breast cancer. It isn’t the chemo and radiation casing all the damage it’s the cancer. The only statistics are measured in 5-year survival rates and not to sound mean, but I think we both know your mom isn’t going to be in that percentage. It is difficult for doctors to give time frames the best they can offer is a guess based on education and experience, I don’t know who you have talked to about this, but I suggest you speak to her oncologist. Nurses are not allowed to say and from my experience physicians from other specialties try not to answer these questions. It isn’t because they are trying to keep something from you. It’s because they know how important their answer is to you and they don’t want to be wrong. They prefer the oncologist answer these questions as they are the most knowledgeable and the most likely to give you the best answer. When the disease progresses despite treatment it’s time to stop and it appears this is what has happened here. Her oncologist will likely recommend hospice and you may want to look into that now. The focus is to keep the patient as pain free and comfortable as possible and to help them and their families through this period. They are wonderful people. It takes someone special to do this. Since they specialize in the end of life they understand the process and know when the end is near. I’ve included a link for you to help you understand it. Best wishes. http://www.hospicenet.org/

Question: Common life span with stage 4 cancer? My uncle in march of last year (06) had his lung removed because of cancer, just today he had a tumor removed from (what my mom says) the outer area of his brain that controls his left side motor skills. They told my mother that is was stage 4 which I know is a bad sign. (it's been there for a year and a half after his surgery) I am getting married next month and he's been a big part of my life... I am honestly, bluntly, wanting to know if the happiest time in my life is going to be one of the worst. I know everything is case by case sensitive but I am just wanting to know averages on what life expectancy is? Or if this is even beat-able. My mom flat out told me that she just hopes we don't have a funeral and wedding in the same week. Thank you everyone who gives their time to answer. God Bless you.

Answer: As I sit here to answer you I cry cause no one can answer this question for you. we tried and tried to get an answer from our dad's doctors but they never gave us an answer. when he went from a walker to a wheel chair they said 3-6 weeks. We then got hospice involved. I was the lucky one to take care of my dad from July-October 2006. It was very precious time we shared together. I mean very precious time. We were lucky to be given this wonderful paperwork called Crossing the Creek from our Hospice ladies (and if you are interested you email me and I will mail it to you) it tells of what to expect during the end of his days and what to expect. This is a grave part of life as we are living it over again this year as it is the 1 year anniversary. you see he died 1 day before my birthday last year and I did not get to celebrate my birthday last year. I dont even know if I will get to celebrate my birthday this year. It was a very sad time. But I can share with you that it was a very great time. you see the tuesday before he died he told his hospice nurse in a whisper but of course we all could hear my anniversary is going to be this saturday I am going to be married to this wonderful lady 45 years and I cant wait. I had bought him a present to give to her from him and a sensitive card. he signed it very carefully. you see his 7 brothers and sisters were coming into town to see him and my mom thought he was holding on to see all of them before he died. well the nurse told him no he is holding on for your anniversary. well he got up that day got washed , cleaned, shaved, put on his wedding ring, his cologne, and he was awake all that day for her, he gave her his present, (you see he most often forgot her anniversary) he was very attentive to her , all his relatives came and they all went out to eat but he stayed with her saying he was just too tired to go out to eat and we all ate at home. He had us take his recliner outside to the bonfire and he set by her. his brothers and sisters brought a big cake and celebrated, my sister brought apple cider like they had at their wedding and they all toasted the day. well then he became unresponsive and he went to sleep on the 15th he did not wake up and at 445pm he passed away without waking to tell us anymore. he was with her 45 yrs and 1 day. IF you are close to him he will wait for your wedding. He will do his best to make it. you keep the faith and you keep with him and involve him in all that is going on. talk to him.

Question: "Dead Peasants insurance." Is your employer betting on your life expectancy? From ABC News: Are 'Dead Peasant' Life Insurance Policies Fair?. The anchors were "stunned" to find that this is going on after watching Michael Moore's new movie, Capitalism a Love Story. Maybe Claire Shipman wouldn't be so surprised if they weren't using a documentary film maker as their research department. Life insurance used to be rather straightforward, known for offering security to loved ones in a tough time. So when Irma Johnson learned that her husband, Daniel, who died of brain cancer, had been insured for $1.5 million, it should have been at least a small comfort. But she did not receive the money. His employer did. It's one of the strangest free-market perversions that Michael Moore highlights in his latest film, "Capitalism: A Love Story." In the corporate practice dubbed "Dead Peasants" life insurance, companies wager on employees' lives, expecting to make money when they die. And it's pervasive, said Mike Myers, an attorney who has uncovered many of these cases and helped angry relatives sue. "Life insurance is traditionally used to guard against the death of breadwinners. This is an investment scheme," he said. Dozens of blue chip companies have these policies, according to Myers. But only banks are forced to reveal them, and several have billions of dollars worth of policies. "The driving force behind it is the tax deductions," he said. The life insurance policies were designed to allow companies to insure a few crucial executives. Savvy companies then realized they could also get a tax break by insuring many lower-level employees. The financial scheme doesn't actually cost the employees anything, except, some say, their trust. Betina Tillman felt shocked and deceived when a reporter from The Wall Street Journal told her that her brother, a music store cashier, was insured by his employer for $339,000 when he died, despite the fact that he no longer worked at the store. "We were just in disbelief they were able to do it, and actually cash the policy and cash in on the policy," Tillman said. She sued, and won. Now, the government mandates that companies obtain the consent of employees.

Answer: It is truly Capitalism at it's worst and diabolically evil . It is too bad that our government is actually forced to step in and police these big corporations .

Question: i am barely 28 yrs old and I have terminal brain cancer. ? my son is 13 and my daughter is 8. How do i tell my family? what should i expect? what is the life expectancy? i dont knkow how to tell my kids or my husband my doctor informed me that it was inoperable. that i would have to endure raditaion therphy and chemotherphy as well, im jus very unesy right now. the tumor is the size of a quarter and is spread into my brain stem where the surgion can n ot remove the tumor without causing damage to normal brain tissue. i just want to give up.

Answer: A devastating diagnosis to be sure. I am not sure where you have been. However, let me assume you have seen your primary care doctor. He likely ordered a CT of the brain with contrast or an MRI which shows this cancer. (Or you were referred to a neurologist who ordered the tests) The study was interpreted and overseen by a radiologist and not a medical student. Then you were referred to a Neuro surgeon who felt that surgery was very risky. That having been said... Options include Chemotherapy and radiation, with the best of intention, you can live longer, although the cancer will continue to spread. Many good suggestions above. Personal experiences always some of the best help. I don't know the answer to your lifetime expectancy question. However, find out about a couple of things. First find out if there is a specialist regionally. (Out of state but within the United states close to where you live.) Consider the Mayo Clinic and schedule for an evaluation. Lastly find out if you are a candidate for the the Cyber knife program in Denver Colorado. They do alot with laser and are doing things that require meticulous precision and accuracy. If things are grim...You must live in the future for your children and your family. This is the defining moment of the legacy of courage and strength you leave as an example to most of all, your children. You must do this. It, next to your love is the most endearing, enduring, and courageous gift you can give your children. It may even help them with their anguish and in times of trouble give them the character to endure anything less than this with confidence and nobility. These will be responsible adults, parents, and you will always live within them. Absolutely, you can be scared, you can cry, be angry,bargain, accept this and move back and forth between all of these emotions...I'm sure you will. I'm sorry you will have to endure this. Living for your children, husband and family is what you must do. Let your tears wash away the fear, the emotional hurt, and the pain. There will be plenty of tears to keep you strong. Tell your husband first. Then invite your parents over the next day to talk to them. Talk from your heart. People want to listen to what you have to say. They will want to help you. They will need to do those things for thier own therapy to get through this. It will be ok to say things to people like " I don't want to talk about that now" I am not ready for this yet. Thank you, but now I need to be alone. Things are ok, that's all I want to say for now." I am angry...how could this happen...What kind of God would let this happen? (You will always be loved and forgiven). You can even be mad at God and then turn around and ask for his help. There is a right time to tell people things and a not so right time to tell people things. Please do not let my words sting you or my honesty hurt you. That is not what being a help is at this time. If I have done so, please accept my deepest feelings of sympathy for having hurt you. As for your children...there are things you can say and things you say along the way. Please email me if you are interested in what I have to say. It may give you strength at a time you need it most. It could also make things harder along the way, only because I can't see you, I can't read you, and I can't treat you. I can care. So it is with the risk of helping someone, there is also the risk of hurting someone...I live with that everyday in medicine, and inheritently that happens from time to time on accident or misunderstanding. I am sure there are no words of comfort for you now. If I could, I would pay for the right words, actions, and give you the strength to live above this illness. You have touched my heart and deeply stirred it like only the Holy Spirit could. I really would like to share things with you via e-mail. These are personal and would be personal to only you and those you choose to share with. I do not practice medicine from a can. I do not speak the same words over again. Every patient, every situation, everything varies from person to person. I am not dogmatic, but analytical, and I speak plainly so people understand what I try to contribute. Yes, there are alot of crazy people out there. There are also a lot of people who care about things like this. That's why I am in medicine. To help you deal with the anxiety please ask your doctor for a prescrition for Klonopin 1 mg. Take 1/2 to 1 tablet as needed every 8 to 12 hours for anxiety and sleep at night. Do not get the generic. Go with the " Dispense as written" This is a clean medication and better than things like Ativan or Xanax. I hope to hear from you ( anytime). If not, you have a lot on your plate and I understand that. Aside from being in medicine and having been touched by similiar disease courses many times, I have had a relative, a few friends and many patients with unpleasant diag

Question: How long would somebody expect to survive with a METASTATIC BRAIN TUMOR if no treatment was undertaken? Treatment is unlikely as the person has already been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, has already undergone chemo for this, which resulted in a reduction of the size of the tumour but was told before that it was incurable (the treatment was done to extend life expectancy not to cure the cancer) and no further chemo can be undertaken for at least another 4 months. It now appears (although as yet undiagnosed -but conditions indicate) that it has also infected the brain - so was wondering how long the end will be in coming if this cancer is untreated?

Answer: My thoughts and prayers are with you. My mother went through this and when we believed it got to the brain I think it was about a few weeks. She just went downhill and then all her pain and suffering was over. I wish nothing but the best outcome, however, to be completely honest it doesn't sound good. God Bless

Question: How accurate are Dr's on life expectancy? I asked a ? a month back or so about my mothers cancer. She has breast cancer that metastasized to her brain. The were able to control it until recently. Chemo for the cancer in the rest of her body is no longer an option and neither is radiation on the brain. They said they would do it but it was my mothers wish to stop treatments. Her oncologist gave her 3 wks to 3 months to live. It was a shock but he said it is an extremely aggressive cancer. We have seen many of the signs which include not eating, sleeping for 20-22 hours a day( which this week has been the exact opposite due to a steroid they have her taking for swelling), she hasn't been able to walk for a month now, and she also hasn't been going to the bathroom for days. The baffling part is when she is awake she is relatively alert and is still "mom", it is hard to beleive 3wks she could be gone.

Answer: I am so sorry for your mother and I hope for all the best with the time remaining. Your mother's Oncologist can only estimate what will happen based on his knowledge of the cancer and his experience. It is not a exact science but his message is clear, that it is terminal. You did not say if you talked with the doctor directly or hear this through your mother in her conversations with him to determine next steps. If she is with you longer than 3 months, it will be a blessing, make the best of it. take care.

Question: My father has stage 4 small cell lung cancer.? Just found out the cancer has moved to the brain. What can we expect next and what is the life expectancy?

Answer: Small cell lung cancer, unfortunately, is the most aggressive of cancer processes in the lung. This is so much so, that lung cancer is broadly characterized into "small cell" and "non-small cell" types, because the treatments and outcomes differ significantly between these groups. Unlike most other solid cancers, surgery typically has little or no role in the management of small cell lung cancer. This is primarily because this disease is usually widely spread by the time it is discovered. However, unlike most other lung cancers, small cell cancer does have a strong response to chemotherapy. This is because the tumors are growing and the cells are dividing rapidly, and most chemotherapy medications interfere with cell reproduction. Small cell cancer is best thought about as being either "limited" or "extensive". The distinction is based on radiographic evaluation of the lung fields, the soft tissue around the heart, the bones and the central nervous system. These are the most common places to find the disease and its signs of spread, and a number of types of studies can be used in order to hunt for disseminated cancer. For those with limited disease, about 85% will have some signs of response to chemotherapy and radiation. 50% may demonstrate a "complete response". However, the median survival (half of the people live longer than this, the other half don't) is between 18 and 24 months. 2 year survival rates are about 40-50%. For those with extensive disease (and having metastatic lesions in the brain qualifies as extensive), about 75% of people will show some response to chemotherapy and radiation, while only about 15% will demonstrate a radiographic "complete response". The median survival is somewhere between 7 and 10 months. 2 year survival is near zero. Current chemotherapy is based on a medication called cisplatin in conjunction with another medication called etoposide. As far as chemotherapy goes, this is a fairly well tolerated combination. However, the considerations that go into whether or not to proceed with chemotherapy involve an assessment of whether or not the therapy will make the patient too ill to benefit from the increased length of life. Depending on the health status of the patient, it may be that the best thing to do is aggressive therapy, or it may be best to do nothing at all, or something limited in between. One last thing about cancer. People who are dealing with cancer and with the thoughts about impending death need to be dealt with respectfully and with honesty. There is no value to hiding the truth from patients. Once given the simple facts, they need time to think about them and react. Having a close friend or a loved one face death is an extremely anxiety producing experience for people. The natural reaction is often to attempt to be helpful in a nearly overwhelming way. However, the reason that people do this is because it is the only way that they can cope with their own anxieties. Ultimately it is not out of consideration for the person who is suffering. Be kind, be helpful, but above all else, be mindful and respectful. Be aware of the needs that the person expresses, but be prepared to feel as though some of the "help" that is offered them may be unwanted. Avoid trying to help yourself with your own anxieties by being overly "helpful" to them! There are some roads that, in this life, we must walk a distance alone. ... I hope that helps. I wish you and yours the best.

Question: My mother beat leukemia and was coming up on her 2 year anniversary of it being in remission...? When for a few months, she was complaining of chest and back pains. Her doctors didnt do any scans, MRI's, NOTHING. they scoped her throat and they diagnosed her with G.E.R.D. (acid reflux) when the pain still wasnt resolved..finally she went to the E.R. for some answers (she isnt known to complain unless she is REALLY in pain, shes a tom boy to the fullest) so she ended up sitting there for 11 hrs..They later admitted her into the hospital, and told us she now has lung cancer, and brain cancer that is now also spread into her spine.They will be doing radiation on the 2 cancer spots in the brain, and chemo for the lung cancer *non-small cell lung cancer* what can I expect?? Life expectancy?? Anyone else dealt with something similar like this before?? She is 45 years old. Serious inquiries only please. Answers on personal experiences appreciated!

Answer: My mother had a really bad headache that lasted for a week then become very tired and finally nausea. I finally decided to take her to the E.R since her family doctor was taking forever to diagnose her. Just like your mother, she was diagnosed with lung cancer metastasis to the brain. The following morning she underwent an 8 hour brain surgery near the cerebellum followed by radiation. From learning to walk, talk reconizing people all over again, she improved so much that I thought she was on her way to remission. But a full 2 years later, her speech started to slur follow by constant falls, that's when I knew her body was on count down mode, our bonus days were running out. She passed away painlessly and peacefully this December she was 58yrs old. My mother was one of the lucky ones as our oncologist has said to us after her surgery that she only had 3-6mos of life. Our family did tons of research and spent thousands of dollars on new cancer drugs, chinese herbal, accupuctures etc. Bottom line: Once in the brain, it's always within a year but that of course, is just a "stat". Spend as much time with her as you can and take all the pictures of you together with her because when you look back like I do now, you will be glad you got to do all those things with her and most importantly... let her know you love her... All my prayers to you and your family. Best of luck!

Question: Lung Cancer & Pet scan results...have question? A friend of mines father(71) has been dxd with Lung Cancer, Sorry I dont know the exact type, but they also found a brain tumor. He has been on chemo for a few months now. The brain tumor has shrunk but the spot in the lung did not...they continued the chemo and the had another scan..He was told nothing had spread, but the spot was not any smaller. Originally he was told they could not do surgery or biopsy because its location. Now they say they want to do surgery? PLEASE be very honest and give me your opinions on anything I have written. What is a realistic life expectancy ? they want to do surgery on the lung. I assume they are ok with the brain tumor for now.

Answer: inoperable has never been a deciding factor for incurable. Brain tumors can be secondary from other areas of the body, but are not always. Metastatic brain tumors are normally from lung or liver, but not always. You did not state if the one they originally decided was inoperable was the lung or the brain or both. Could be they took a closer look and decided that whichever one or both was not in an area that made it inoperable. Even doctors have the capability of forming second opinions. And at least they are continuing to look forward, as opposed to giving up. Realistic life span is somewhere between today and one hundred years. Every person reacts to diiseases differently. Just as the two cancers reacted differently to the same chemo.

Question: Decreasing Decadron? A friend of mine has metastatic brain cancer and is in a palliative care center. She requested to stop taking Decadron to speed up mortality. Does this actually reduce her life expectancy?

Answer: Stopping the Decadron will increase the amount of swelling in the brain. She may become more confused and agitated if she does this. These symptoms can be reduced though with lots of pain meds and anxiety meds. I personally use Ativan in my patients.