Hi,
My 62 year old mum has recently been diagnosed with Pleural Mesothelioma.
This came as quite a shock to my family as we are not sure where she was exposed and have since been doing much research to try and learn as much as we can about this Cancer.
She presented to the doctor with flu like symptoms and was given antibiotics however these did not work and she was sent for an xray where they saw fluid build up. She then had 1.2 L of fluid drained in early May and a fine needle biopsy. She then went in to hospital a couple of weeks later to have a more in depth biopsy done as well as draining of additional fluid. She was released from hospital on May 17th and had an xray done. She then had an xray a couple of weeks later which actually showed the fluid in her lung had reduced since the day she left hospital.
Mum started her Chemotherapy on Monday 30th May and has been having it in 3 week cycles (she is in the 3rd week of her 2nd cycle). She has had an xray today which showed the fluid has dramatically increased and we are unsure about why this would happen? Are you able to provide some explanation? Does this mean the Chemotherapy is not working and is only making it worse?
She has overall been handling the Chemotherapy very well, with some aches and pains and some fatigue.
It may also be beneficial to mention that she had a PET scan on Monday 23rd May which showed 3 spots on her right lung only.
Thank you
Giulia
Reply # - July 5, 2016, 06:37 PM
Hi Giulia,
Hi Giulia,
Welcome to Grace. I'm very sorry about your mum's diagnosis. I know how disheartening that is for all involved but I hope we will be able to lessen the burden with useful info and resources.
Recurring pleural effusion is an unfortunate common complication of mesothelioma. The good news is it does not mean that chemo isn't working.
We have a post from Dr. West written quite a few years ago but I think it can be helpful.
http://cancergrace.org/lung/2007/06/25/intro-to-mesothelioma/
Note that the link for managing PE has an updated discussion on options. You can find that here. http://cancergrace.org/lung/2015/08/03/gcvl_lu-cc01_introduction_malign…
Also don't miss the 3 discussions following the intro to mpe. Each contain individual processes for managing mpe.
The MESO foundation's website is still a very helpful place to visit, http://www.curemeso.org/site/c.duIWJfNQKiL8G/b.8598593/k.D685/Homepage…
I hope this has been helpful. Let us know if you have further questions.
All best,
Janine
Reply # - February 9, 2017, 03:24 AM
Hello,
Hello,
I am hoping to seek some further advice.
My mum went through 8 rounds of chemotherapy (carboplatin and alimta) with her last round being on October 31st. The meso responded to the chemotherapy and shrunk, 2 growths responded better than the 3rd. During this time she had several drainings of the fluid with the last being 10 weeks apart and a total of 800 mls, this was at the start of December. She also had a scan in December which showed no change from her previous scan after cycle 6.
Last week she caught the flu and got quite badly breathless in a matter of days. She went and had the fluid drained which was 1.6L. This is the most she has ever had and we are quite concerned by this. She also had a CT scan which we have been told shows that one of the growths has doubled in size since December. We meet with her Oncologist on Tuesday but I am looking for some guidance on what will happen next. Seeing as she tolerated the chemo so well last time, will it be an option for her to start the same treatment again? Or will she potentially need to move to another type of chemo or another form or treatment altogether? She was a candidate for surgery but chose against it.
Another problem that I am seeking advice on is the fact that over the past week about 4 times she hasn't been able to keep her food down. She says it feels like it gets stuck in her esophagus (in the middle of her chest) and then vomits it up. Is there an explanation for this? Is this the cancer pushing on her esophagus?
She has been very stressed / distressed recently and has been very worked up.
I am so worried and upset and any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Giulia
Reply # - February 9, 2017, 06:53 AM
Hi Giulia,
Hi Giulia,
I am sorry to hear that your mum's mesothelioma apparently has grown. The main evidence of that would be the scan results, as an increase in the size of a pleural effusion, especially in light of the flu infection, is not clear evidence of cancer progression.
Even if it was well-tolerated, in most cases an oncologist will not want to revisit a chemo regimen if progression is seen just a few months later. It's also not common to continue with a platinum agent such as carboplatin beyond 6 cycles, since the toxicity fom carboplatin can be cumulative, reducing bone marrow function and the production of blood cells, which can make further treatment difficult. It would be more likely to choose a different chemo regimen.
As far as your mum's difficulty keeping down food, that will probably require some investigation by her doctor. If the location of the cancer nodules is not particularly close to the esophagus, that would not be the likely cause. Certainly tension and worry could be a contributing factor.
I hope you have a productive meeting with her doctor, with a new treatment plan in place that will be effective.
JimC
Forum moderator
Reply # - February 10, 2017, 08:18 PM
Thank you for your response
Thank you for your response Jim.