88 year old with BC

Ladyluck11

My 88 year old mother-in-law has been diagnosed with aggressive ductal, her2 positive, non-estrogen fed breast cancer.  Since January she has been in tremendous pain with her back.  Ortho says he see no reason for her to be in so much pain.  Mastectomy is scheduled for the 26th.  Wouldn't you think she'd need a pet scan, especially at her age, to make sure the cancer has not spread? Did I post this to the right place?

dogsandjogs

Ask the doctor. Maybe it is not advisable to do any more than a mastectomy due to her age.

fredntan

at 88 a compression fx in back will give horrible pain. mri will dx that. vertebroplasty can fix.



your doc seems less than adequate. (if he hasnt done scans to try and dx pain)

Ladyluck11

She's been to five doctors.  An oncologists, surgeon, orthopedic specialists, lung specialists and a kidney specialists.  Had scans and MRI but no one has seen anything that could be causing this pain.  She was in so much pain yesterday at the orthopedic's office that he sent her over to a pain specialists.  Now she's on 10 mg. of oxycodene and muscle relaxers.   This is absolutely breaking my heart. Right now they are scheduling 3 months of chemo with Herceptin and then an additional 12 months of Herceptin.  I am a survivor, 2 1/2 years, and doing great.  (Bilateral, 1 lympnode involved and femara) 

MaryR12

I don't know why, but it always bothers me more when an older person is diagnosed with cancer. I feel as though they have already been through so much in their life, only to be riddled with cancer in the end of their life. But, then of course I personally know of folks very young, who haven't even had a chance to live who are stricken with cancer. Guess there is no perfect age, it sucks no matter when.