Stage 4 Metastatic Sarcoma

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shannon2930 Message: Stage 4 Metastatic Sarcoma Caregiver shannon2930 Recommend this Message Report Abuse Email a Friend Track this Message [Remove] Subject: Stage 4 Metastatic Sarcoma Date: 02/01/2008 My uncle was diagnosed in Nov 07 w/ metastatic sarcoma. My family and I are completely devasted. He was hosptialized on Saturday 01/26/08 after coughing up blood. We were told on Wednesday 1/29/08 that he has stage 4 and we need to prepare for his depature. Doctors say he may have a couple of months left. The tumor is imbedded in his left lung and is pressing on a major artery near is heart. Doctors say the tumor is non-surgical and it's too large. My uncle started chemo in November however the tumor has gotten much bigger. About 13 + years ago he was in a terrible car accident w/ a severe leg injury. 2 years ago the doctors, found he had cancer in that same leg and amputated that leg to hopefully kill the cancer and prevent it from spreading. He was on chemo and according to him a much stronger chemo than he was put back on in November. My family and I are devastated and no one has ever had cancer in our family before. We dont' know where to start. The doctors have given up all hope, but we believe in a higher power and have faith. My uncle is not ready to give up and neither are we.. Any suggestions or any similar stories. I'm desperate.. Where do we turn, and what can we do. ANY HELP IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. Any one here with metastatic sarcoma or can anyone help me understand what it is. Not sure if it's a bone cancer or what. Thanks in advance. Private Reply Quote Reply to This Message Nippatina Message: RE: Stage 4 Metastatic Sarcoma Patient Nippatina Recommend this Message Report Abuse Email a Friend Track this Message [Remove] Subject: RE: Stage 4 Metastatic Sarcoma Date: 03/06/2008 Hi sorry to hear about your uncle. What kind of sarcoma does he have? 7 years ago I had a dermo fibro sarcoma protruberans (dfsp) in my left thigh due to banging it 10 yrs earlier. mine was stage 3 11cm large. I had surgery to remove it. Well back in aug of 07 I was diganose with it again in my right lung. four tumors. Ranging from 1 cm to 5.6 cm. It was confirmed a met and most believed to have been in my lung for at least 4 yrs. Mine is low grade. The tumors also grow very slow. was told by my the dr that it was a1 to 4 percent chance this cancer would spread. I am the second on in the tri state area to have this in my lung. They cant do surgery on my lung due to where it is. Im currently being treated with Gleevec. The side effects are different for every one and they drive me nuts. But so far its working. On my last scan in Dec my tumors shrank 11/2cm. I dont go back again until May for another scan. My question to you is he seeing a sarcoma specilist. Not all drs can treat sarcomas. Im going to Sloan because they are the only ones in my area that can treat what I have. Private Reply Quote Reply to This Message TRACEY038 Message: RE: Stage 4 Metastatic Sarcoma Patient TRACEY038 Recommend this Message Report Abuse Email a Friend Track this Message [Remove] Subject: RE: Stage 4 Metastatic Sarcoma Date: 04/19/2008 Metastatic cancer is when it has gone from one part of the body to another. I realize that this message is a few months old. Is he still OK? I hope so. I have had metastatic Sarcoma since May of 2003 and I am still fighting. The doctors didn't expect me to make it a year but I did. The most important thing is attitude and getting other opinions when needed. If you need, ask me any question> Tracey Private Reply Quote Reply to This Message JuliesDaddy Message: RE: Stage 4 Metastatic Sarcoma Caregiver JuliesDaddy Recommend this Message Report Abuse Email a Friend Track this Message [Remove] Subject: RE: Stage 4 Metastatic Sarcoma Date: 04/24/2008 On 4/19/2008 TRACEY038 wrote: Metastatic cancer is when it has gone from one part of the body to another. I realize that this message is a few months old. Is he still OK? I hope so. I have had metastatic Sarcoma since May of 2003 and I am still fighting. The doctors didn't expect me to make it a year but I did. The most important thing is attitude and getting other opinions when needed. If you need, ask me any question> Tracey My father was diagnosed a little over two years ago with a sarcoma tumor in his right thigh. It was removed after radiation. It weighed in at 17 pounds! Now the cancer has mastasised to his lungs. He has been through multiple rounds of chemo using all types of chemo. Today, he went for his scan and found out all spots have grown. The dr says we can repeat on of the chemo types that don't have a lifetime dose maximum but didn't give us much hope! He also offered to stop treatment and set us up with a "support group". We ARE NOT ready to stop fighting! All of us, including my Daddy, are devastated! I can't seem to find even a drop of hope on the web! I am hoping against hope that you can give me any encouraging news since you are a fighter and survivor! Thanks for your time! Julie T --Message edited by CancerCompass staff. For personal protection, email address removed. Consider private reply. Please review CancerCompass Member Guidelines at http://www.cancercompass.com/common/guidelines.html-- Private Reply Quote Reply to This Message TRACEY038 Message: RE: Stage 4 Metastatic Sarcoma Patient TRACEY038 Recommend this Message Report Abuse Email a Friend Track this Message [Remove] Subject: RE: Stage 4 Metastatic Sarcoma Date: 04/28/2008 Judy, please tell your father not to give up hope and always try any chemo possible. I have been on ifosfamide, mesna, doxorubicin, taxotere, dacarbazine, gemcitabine and i have aslo done a procedure called photo dynamic therapy in which they use a drug called photofrin. If there is anyone who does that in your area it works really well for some people. And finally i am on sutant which is an oral drug you take at home. 10/03 the doctors said i most likely wouldn;t live a year but in addition to going to m d anderson in orlando where i live, i also went to m d anderson in houston for a second opinion and also to shands in gainesville. I look into anything that may help me and never take no for an answer. There are clinical trials out there too. I have been off the chemo for 2 years until my lesions started growing rapidly again and then we decided to look into other options. I have either done my lifetime doseage or the chemo stopped working after awhile so that is why i an trying the sutant now. i am a very active 42 year old grandother and i am not willing to let this beat me of stop me from living life. I actually just got into a otorcycle accident and broke my femur in december and that should have killed me too but i am not done living yet. Please tell your father to keep up hope and if one doctor says no there is always another one that will say yes. It just stinks because you have to do so much research yourself but if there is anyway i can help you guys i will be ore than happy to. Good luck and i will pray for you guys.Tracey h Private Reply Quote Reply to This Message JuliesDaddy Message: RE: Stage 4 Metastatic Sarcoma Caregiver JuliesDaddy Recommend this Message Report Abuse Email a Friend Track this Message [Remove] Subject: RE: Stage 4 Metastatic Sarcoma Date: 04/28/2008 Tracy, First of all let me say, you are a hero! Just your story is a huge help! You hear so much bad news with this disease, it is refreshing to hear something positive! The fact that you are living (and loving) life is awesome! We are looking into md anderson right now! We have a friend who is a dr and he is refering my Dad. We have not had the therapy you spoke of offered to us. Is it offered at md anderson? I have just been pouring over the internet trying to find ANYTHING that sounds hopeful! I found a new drug I haden't heard of before called "trabectedin". Do you know anything about it? So, anyway, thank you so much for your reply! I would love to stay in touch with you! I wish you the best of luck and will add you to my prayer list as we all pray for a cure for this MONSTER! Best wishes & thanks again! Julie Private Reply Quote Reply to This Message TRACEY038 Message: RE: Stage 4 Metastatic Sarcoma Patient TRACEY038 Recommend this Message Report Abuse Email a Friend Track this Message [Remove] Subject: RE: Stage 4 Metastatic Sarcoma Date: 04/28/2008 Julie, Are you going to M D Anderson Orlando or Houston? If it is Houston I saw Dr Burgess there and he keeps in touch with my doctor in Orlando with ideas of what to do. The Photo dynamic therapy I did is at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Fl. It is where they give you a drug and two days later they go into your lungs (through your mouth) and hit the cancer with a light, which kills the cancer and then they take the cancer out. I was put to sleep 3 times a week for 3 1/2 weeks for the procedure but they got 80% of the cancer they could reach with the treatment. And being put to sleep that much wasn't a big deal. http://www.mesotheliomacancer.com/?pageid=455 This is a link to inforation about PDT. Maybe M D Anderson could help you find someone who does it if they have no treatment ideas. If you need me to find who does it I can contact my doctor who did mine but I think there are only 4 or so places in the U S who do it. There are also cancer organizations who can help you with airfare, hotels, etc if you need. Also one last thing has he registered with the American Cancer Society? They offer many services and infirmation that can be very helpful. Again, if I can do anything to help please let me know. GOOD LUCK Tracey H Private Reply Quote Reply to This Message JuliesDaddy Message: RE: Stage 4 Metastatic Sarcoma Caregiver JuliesDaddy Recommend this Message Report Abuse Email a Friend Track this Message [Remove] Subject: RE: Stage 4 Metastatic Sarcoma Date: 04/28/2008 Tracy, Thank you so much for replying again! You have no idea the hope you have given me! I am extremely excited about the photodynamic therapy! I would love for you to find out where we could go for the treatment if you truly don't mind! And how did you say my Mom & Dad could get help on airfare, hotel, etc.? Because that would be wonderful! Are you taking any treatments now or did you just have the photdynamic therapy? How long has you cancer been stable? And are your spots in your lungs not growing at all? I know God put you in my path and I am SO thankful! You have single handedly been the only person who has helped me sleep at night since we got this bad news! Thank you! Julie Tanner Private Reply Quote Reply to This Message
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