How long does someone die after this kind of cancer? I found out today that it is pallative cancer.....my grandma is running a fever and she said she can't even stay awake. My grandma said she has a lump in her throat now. It has been classified as poorly differentiated.....please, someone be honest with me.....I need to know.

Christy

Hello Christy.

Pallative is really not a kind of cancer. Pallative is the type of treatment your Gramdmother will be receiving. It means the cancer most likely cannot be cured. The treatment for what she has could me worse than if they do nothing. There are so many diffrernt quality of life issuus to deal with. Please remember this is just my opinion and if I errored
in any way please forgive me. There are many members who know more about SSC than I.

The treatment she should receive should allow her the most comfort and as pain free as humanly possible. I am so sorry she has to suffer with such a bastard of a diaease. My prayers go out to both of you and your family.

God Bless, Danny Boy

Hello Danny Boy, I just don't understand why it has to be like this. This thing only became noticeable at the beginning of the month......now she is going to die. How could it have spread that fast? I am sorry for all the questions.....:-((

Christy

Christy,

Danny is correct. Palliative is a type or mode of care rather than a type of disease. I found this definition on the web. I think it's pretty good:

"Palliative care, also called comfort care, is primarily directed at providing relief to a terminally-ill person through symptom management and pain management. The goal is not to cure, but to provide comfort and maintain the highest possible quality of life for as long as life remains."

In answer to your initial question, which is how long? No one can answer that. Not even the docs. It's usually just their best guess, but everyone is different.

My heart goes out to you and your family.

-Brett

Christy,

I'm sorry to hear how quickly this has affected your grandmother. Unfortunately, with many oral cancers, by the time they become noticeable they have already been in the body for years. They can stay at a microscopic level for awhile where they aren't readily detected. My oral surgeon told me that my tumor had probably been there for as many as 5 years before it was diagnosed.

Certain types of cancer cells can grow at abnormally fast rates, and it sounds as though that may be what your grandmother is faced with. As Dan said, if that's the case, the doctors should be doing anything possible to minimize her pain.

Cathy

Hello everyone,

I don't even know what to say.

I meant to say pallative care. I was hoping it was going to be curative, but I guess it is too late for that. I have been on this website day and night reading and reading.

She is having the pre-op today and another biopsy tomorrow. Why would they be doing that? Does anyone know?

If the cancer is not in the lungs why can't they do something? She just felt the lump in her throat yesterday.

Christy

Hi Christy, I very sorry to hear about your heartbreaking news. But for the grace of God any one of us could be in the same circumstances. To answer some of your questions, first about "poorly differentiated". This definition from the NCI dictionary:

"differentiation In cancer, refers to how mature (developed) the cancer cells are in a tumor. Differentiated tumor cells resemble normal cells and tend to grow and spread at a slower rate than undifferentiated or poorly differentiated tumor cells, which lack the structure and function of normal cells and grow uncontrollably."

Is a popular misconception that cancer cells divide at a faster rate than normal cells. What cancer cells do differently from normal cells is that their growth can be "uncontrolled" which means it will spread invasively to many different anatomical structures and tissue types.

I am speculating here but at this point the biopsy will determine what palliative care treatment options she will have.

The lump could a sign lymph node involvement which would be consistent with a "poorly differentiated" cancer. From what you have said in earlier posts it sounds to me like the cancer has been there for quite a while. One of the tragic things about SCC is that it is usually undetected until it is quite advanced. One of Brian's main focus these days is education in the area of early detection, which have proved successful in many other forms of cancer.

How long she will live depends on many factors. General health, attitude, will to live, the palliative care treatment may extend her life as well. Your oncologists should be able to advise you here. Some have been given weeks and lived years, others, months and lived days.

You asked for honesty - I wish I could say something to give you more hope.

I will keep you, your Grandma and family in my prayers,

Christy,

Never be sorry about asking questions on this website. This website was created be Brian Hill to serve that purpose and many others. We (the members) come here to seek answers to many of the same questions you have and will have. We can offer our experience as we know them. Love and support. This is a pretty tight group of people. We don't always agree but thats human nature. Also people react differnetly to the same treatment. Sometimes there are no clear cut answers. Thats one of the nasty parts of this diaease.
God Bless you both, Danny Boy

Hi Everyone,

Grandma is back from the pre-op. I guess everything went okay. Her blood pressure and breathing are fine. She is having a Quadroscopy biopsy tomorrow. I don't know if they plan to try and remove the cancer or not. I keep asking my Grandma's daughters, but they don't have the answers I want. I will be there tomorrow though. I want to talk to her doctor myself. Maybe there is still hope.....:-)) She is 74, but she is very strong. She had breast cancer over 10 years ago......she is still here. There has to be hope......:-))

Christy

Christy,

Keep a positive attitude for yourself and your grandma. You are doing everything you can, and I am encouraged that you will be talking to the doctor tomorrow. You will get done and later realize you didn't ask everything you had intended. That's O.K. You can ask again later. Any procedures are focused on your grandma's well being, both immediate and longer term. I try to focus on "What's next?"

Do whatever you can to show her your love and support. Our prayers are with you!

David

Thank you so much David.....:-))

Mom said I shouldn't keep coming to this site because I have learned too much...:-)) In a way I think that, but I want to know what I can so I can help her. I think I am going to make a list of questions. I just hope I don't forget the list....LOL I guess we will know everything on Thursday.....positive thoughts.....:-))

Christy

What is a (Quadroscopy) Biopsy? I have been unable to find that term. It must mean 4 of something.

Christy, you may end up in a situation where you have to counsel your mother. You have been functioning as the primary patient advocate here. I am a little surprised that your mother isn't here as well.

You mentioned your Grandma was a smoker - both cancers can be caused by smoking although they are typically entirely different types.

Christy,
Keep using this site. The more you know, the better advocate you can be for your grandma. I would have been a basket case without this site as my husband went through his two bouts with SCC.

Thinking of you and praying for you.

Lowanne

Gary,
My original ENT used the term Quad-Scope to refer to an endoscope of trach, lungs, esophogas, and stomach, and said he would biopsy anything that looked suspicious. That may be what they're calling A Quadroscopy Biopsy.
Just a guess.

Chuck

Hello Everyone,

That was my take on the procedure too. Mom said they will use a camera and they will biopsy any areas that seem suspicious.....that is exactly it.....I think. The procedure takes about one hour. I was trying to find it online too, but couldn't.

Mom my was on the site a few weeks back, but she couldn't handle it. She hasn't been back since. The same week we found out about Grandma mom was waiting for x-ray result too (lung cancer). The results came back negative for lung cancer, but she has chronic lung disease with asthma. She is a mess herself. I am trying to keep everyone together.....and nobody knows I am falling apart too.....:-((

Yes, both my Grandma and Mom smoke. I begged my Mom to try and stop tonight. I was crying and telling her I didn't want to go through this with her too.

I think my Grandma has the Squamous Cell Carcinoma cancer.....not 100% sure yet. Her first biopsy says this type of cancer is favored over the Sarcoma cancer.

Christy

Thanks Chuck,
it sounds like they're interested in any area with squamous cells.

We're here for you Christy. Maybe you can ask the hospital social worker to find a support group so you can get some one on one support.

Christy,
I really don't have any answers for you but I will pray for you and your grandmother.

Christy,

I am so sorry you are having to deal with so much all at once. Be sure and take time for yourself to just enjoy a breath of air every now and then.

If your Grandma's doctors are already speaking of "palliative care" in the US at least it opens many doors for support such as hospice. We used to have a program called "bridge" that allowed you to set up the hospice care team and continue with treatment. When the doctors mention more quality of life factors versus curative factors that should be enough to provide more services with people more equipped to deal with some of the more intense issues you, along with your entire family, are facing right now.

Your mother and your grandmother are very fortunate to have you spending the time to learn as much as you can to help your grandmother right now. Be sure and write down as many of the questions that you have and take your list and work on resolving the issues that are immediately affecting your grandmother's well-being.

I will be praying for you, your mother and your grandmother.

Ed