Question: What is the life expectancy for stage 4 melanoma skin cancer? The cancer has already spread to the lungs, liver and possibly the brain we are not sure about that yet they have scheduled a brain scan. This is my dad who is only 59, he just doesnt seem to know what is going on anymore. He acts like he is lost. What should I expect?
My dad has been struggling with cancer for about 4 yrs now. The first time the cancer was found in the bladder, kidneys. He now has only one kidney. Later he was diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer at stage 3. Back in Nov 2007 he had a surgery removing some lymph nodes and then he began chemo shortly after which made him to sick and he quit taking it after about 3 wks. That was December07-Jan08 about 3wks ago in May 08 they found that the cancer has spread to the lungs and I believe there are 2nodes in each lung and now I was told my dad has stage 4 melanoma skin cancer. I just want some information I have a 10yr old son and his papaw is his world.The treatment he was doing m,t,w for 6 hrs a day started in august they just stopped said it was not working. Now they just started something he only does on monday. He is scheduled for a brain scan today 11/5.
Answer: First - I am sorry to hear about your Dad. Second, as you know there is no stage 5 in cancer, so he is terminal. We are talking months maybe even weeks, not years. If the cancer goes to his brain, your Dad could suffer confusion, and dementia. Not knowing much about his case, I can't say much more. Right now, some of his confusion just may be related to the shock of his diagnosis and depression. Good Luck
Question: what is the life expectancy of liver cancer? 45 yrs old with melanoma cancer
Answer: what people here are describing is hepatocellular carcinoma...which is a primary cancer of the liver. In your question you said that the patient in question has melanoma which is in most cases a skin cancer. If the patient has melanoma with liver involvement (that would be called metastasis), unfortunately that is considered incurable.
The five year survival rate is around 10%. However there is palliative treatment which helps make the last months of life more confortable and bearable to the patient. There have been people who lives years with metastatic melanoma with appropriate aggressive treatment. That said, this depends on the case in question and the type of metastasis. With liver involvement this type of aggressive treatment is not usually undertaken.
Try to spend as much time as you can with this person. God bless and i wish you all the courage you can muster.
