Talk Cancer

Question:

My Mother aged 53 went to the doctors with a sore calf muscle in March 96 and has since suffered over a period of a year from multiple (about 9) deep vein thrombosis to her lungs, groin and legs. Within this time and after various exploratory examinations she was diagnosed with cancer of unknown primary location (thought to be ovarian related) with metastasis to the lymph in the chest but with all major organs clear. She continues to take warfrin but has major difficulties keeping a good level and has to be tested at least once sometimes twice a week.  She was given carbo platin based chemo which initially seemed to work but then  the trauma of another DVT set things back and the doctors told her to give it a rest. In the meantime she began to have problems with her hands which became fixed and claw like, this stumped even the doctors and she is has been taking prediserone which at first was like a miracle (energy levels up, walking became easy) but it is know beginning to have adverse side effects. She found out today that some how she has fractured her pelvis and osteoporosis has set in apparently caused by the steroids, they are going to give her some kind of test to her bones in the next few weeks to confirm. I cannot understand the consultants reaction regarding mums illness. They are stumped by the UPL, they are stumped by the multiple DVT’s, (our London oncologist claimed the two were not related, which was contradicted by our new Oncologist in Nottingham) then she has this case of hardening of the tissues around the hands and fingers which the professor said he had only read about two other cases. I cannot believe that she suddenly developed there completely unusual illness. She was diagnosed mid 96 and beats them every time, we have no idea how long she will live because she bonuses back every time things get bad. The oncologist has talked of trying her on the carbo platin again but has called her in early after her recent CT scan. We hope its to try the chemo again, it never caused any obvious adverse effects and trying something is better than doing nothing at all.  Any info. relating to any of the above would be really appreciated. Its not fun being the only one!. Hope and information are the only things that keep us on top. regards & thanks Sara

Response:

Sara, I would check to see if they are/were giving her other chemo combinations with the carboplatin.  Normally, they will tackle it with a combination with the carboplatin, such as VP-16, Ifex, or Vincristine.  If she has been given VP-16 or Vincristine (especially the latter), this can cause nerve damage that can numb or severly weaken the fingers and hands.  I’ve gone through both myself — Cistplatin, Ifex, and VP-16 last year for a pancreatic tumor (the VP-16 numbed my fingers and toes), and Carboplatin, VP-16, and Vincristine this year (the Vincristine has totally numbed my fingers and severly weakend my grip.) This can be temporary or permanent — you really won’t know until up to a year after the chemo was given. Rich

Response:

Richard, thanks for your response. I’ll check what the combinations were on our next visit in a few weeks. A question regarding your hands, did the tissue on your hands and around your fingures become "solid and fixed " or  numb but normal to touch. Good luck Sara – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Sara, I would check to see if they are/were giving her other chemo combinations with the carboplatin.  Normally, they will tackle it with a combination with the carboplatin, such as VP-16, Ifex, or Vincristine.  If she has been given VP-16 or Vincristine (especially the latter), this can cause nerve damage that can numb or severly weaken the fingers and hands.  I’ve gone through both myself — Cistplatin, Ifex, and VP-16 last year for a pancreatic tumor (the VP-16 numbed my fingers and toes), and Carboplatin, VP-16, and Vincristine this year (the Vincristine has totally numbed my fingers and severly weakend my grip.) This can be temporary or permanent — you really won’t know until up to a year after the chemo was given. Rich

Response: