Question:
My mother has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. They can't find the
primary site even with a CT scan. the suspect skin cancer, but it is a
non-differentated cancer and skin cancer supposedly isn't supposed to
matastesize the way hers is .She has small marble-size tumors in several places under the skin. My question is , does this sound like skin cancer? And I know stage 4 is not currable, but can it be treated to give her a good quality of life?
Answer:
A lot more people succumb to Stage IV than survive it but Stage IV
by itself is not a death sentence.
My first encounter with cancer was two malignant melanomas on my back
in 1990.
Next, I had part of my right index finger amputated due to basal
cell carcinoma in 1995.
In 1996 - my thyroid gland was removed - plus a very large mass
of muscle from the right side of my neck and right shoulder.
In April 1998, I began having shoulder pain that progressed to inflame
the entire chest cavity. It was diagnosed as a tumor on my spinal
column. The thyroid cancer also reappeared. The combination of
thyroid and bone makes me a Stage IV case. I had 25 daily radiation
treatments for the tumor on the spinal column. A month after the
last treatment, scans showed that I am clean again. I still have pain
but it is improving every day.
Don't give up hope just because it is Stage IV. I personally believe
that attitude plays a major role in combatting cancer.
