Question about Cancer diagnosing

This may be a naive question but I am really curious as to how people find out they have cancer. I know that skin cancer is probably a bit easier to detect but do people always find out late or do symptoms show right away. I am just so moved by the post about all of the young people inflicted with these terrible diseases and I am always telling my DH not to ignore strange symptoms because you never know. Yes, we are young, but clearly that doesn't mean anything.

and to everyone dealing with any of these illnesses, whether it's you, friends, or family.

Message edited 5/17/2007 8:09:22 AM.

Re: ? abo9ut Cancer diagnosing

well... my dad had lymphoma 6 years ago. that is cancer of your lymph nodes, which you have all over your body, and ironically, they're supposed to help with immunity from diseases. my dad was lucky becasue he lymphoma was in the lymph nodes in his chest... it was a mass as big as his hand up near his heart... he was having major pain, at first thought he had pulled a shoulder muscle, but when it didn't get better he went to the emergency room- they took xrays and saw the mass. he had about 5 months of chemo, and hes doing great 6 years later... BUT, if it had been in the lymph nodes in his legs, he probably would have ignored it for longer because hes on his feet all day with his job and probably would have just kept thinnking it was a pulled muscle.

Re: Question about Cancer diagnosing

my mom passed away from breast cancer 17 years ago. Initially she went to the doctor and was misdiagnosed. When she was finally diagnosed properly, she had a mastectomy but it was too late because the cancer already spread. She went back to the doctor because she was having difficulty walking...she thought that it was a vitamin deficiency of some sort but it turned out that the cancer spread to her liver It was terrible

Re: Question about Cancer diagnosing

My father died from liver cancer and ignored the symptoms for a long time. When he was diagnosed....it was too late and he passed away rather quickly. Diagnosed on a Tuesday, died on Friday morning. He was in alot of pain.

You are very right. As young people.....as any person, we should really treasure and take care of the one life we are given.

Re: Question about Cancer diagnosing

Posted by GenLCSW

my mom passed away from breast cancer 17 years ago. Initially she went to the doctor and was misdiagnosed. When she was finally diagnosed properly, she had a mastectomy but it was too late because the cancer already spread. She went back to the doctor because she was having difficulty walking...she thought that it was a vitamin deficiency of some sort but it turned out that the cancer spread to her liver It was terrible

Re: Question about Cancer diagnosing

Message edited 5/27/2007 6:39:50 PM.

Re: Question about Cancer diagnosing

well with my mom and her cancer she intially felt a lump during a breast self exam and they misdiagnosed it as a cyst because she had cystic breasts Then a year or so later it got bigger and started hurting when they finally diagnosed it - she was in cancer 4th stage and it had spread.

After my mom passed my g-ma ( her mom) came down with colon cancer and her symptoms were blood in stool and stomach aches

both of them passed away

Re: Question about Cancer diagnosing

I know a couple of people that were diganosed through routine physicals & tests (colonoscopies & mammograms).

My father found out when he went to the DR because he wasn't feeling right and was pretty much diagnosed on site - blood tests and a biopsy to confirmed this.

Re: Question about Cancer diagnosing

My father was going to the doctor because he had a lump in his throat and a weird taste in his mouth. The doctor was originally treating him for a sore throat and when he went to a different doctor, they took some tests (blood and biopsy testing) and found out that it was throat cancer (which, thank god is now gone).

Message edited 5/17/2007 10:44:06 AM.

Re: Question about Cancer diagnosing

My dad had absolutely NO symptoms at all.

He found a lump and wanted to ignore it because he is genetically prone to fatty cysts. My mother made him go tot he doctor and get it biopsied. They did the biopsy and it was just a fatty cyst but in the area they found another lump, indetectable otherwise that was actually cancer. He was VERY lucky.

Re: Question about Cancer diagnosing

I agree with not ignoring symtoms.
This are the people I know off the top of my head:

My friend's son had reoccuring headaches. He was taken to the pediatrician who ran tests. He has a rare form of osteosarcoma (bone cancer) that started in his face. Within days, his lips & check were so swollen that his eyes were swollen shut.

One of my son's friend's mothers had a backpain. When she got it checked out months later (she was in a car accident previously so thought it was acting up again), it was a tumor at the base of her spine. When they traced it back, it began with Stage IV breast cancer which spread to some organs. It was a hormone-based cancer (which metastized during her pregnancy).

Best friend - brest cancer, stage 1. Routine Mamagraphy.

My cousin's husband ignored symptoms (back pain, coughing, etc) for months. He went to the doctor. He had cancer all over, including the bones. He lived 3 weks.

Sister's friend's husband was having blurred vision. His optometrist asked him the name of his primary care doctor & told him to make an appointment right away. The primary care doctor called him the next day & told him to come in. (The optometrist called the doctor & told him what she suspected). He had malignant brain tumor, which she could see while looking in his eyes. He had chemo & radiation & is in his 5th year of remission.

Re: Question about Cancer diagnosing

My FIL went to the doctor because he was coughing a lot. The doctor took x-rays and blood tests and they told him that he had allergies. He went to the ER 2 months later and his lung had collapsed because he had a tumor in his lung. He died from the lung cancer 1.5 years later. The oncologist looked at his original x-rays and said that he should have been on chemo immediately instead of allergy meds. By the time his lung collapsed, he had stage 3b cancer.

We still miss you, Pop!

Re: Question about Cancer diagnosing

A friend of mine had a cold that never went away. He ignored it, and let it linger for about 2 months and one day was looking so pale we told him he must go to the Dr.
He was diagnosed with AML - a form of leukemia. At first he responded well to the treatment and the cancer went into remission. But then about 2 months later it came back and the chemo didn't work. He was scheduled for a bone marrow transplant, but died before he could get it, only 10 months after he was diagnosed, about a year from when his "cold" started.
I miss him very much.

Re: Question about Cancer diagnosing

My husband had testicular cancer. He felt a lump and we followed up with a doctor. They removed it within the week and he is currently 1 year cancer free. He goes for follow up cat scans every 3 months.

Re: Question about Cancer diagnosing

I can tell you that for me, I had severe pain and thought it was a sinus infection. However it took ME bieng very persistant and seeing doctor after doctor.
YOU know your own body, if something does not feel right, GET IT CHECK OUT!
There is no way in the world that I would have suspected that I have cancer! I was livin' life and havin' a great time. Life was good, had a hubby a house and my first baby boy on the way. To get the news that I have a cancer that 1% of the population gets, well that just floored me.
Anyway, I digress...GET CHECKED if you feel something is up, if you don't get better, KEEP pushing your doctors or get new ones! MORE THAN ONE doctor blew me off as "a crazy woman", " a hypocodriact (sp?)", or "just having different pregnancy symptoms." I have since walked into EACH of those doctors office and used a few choice words With me, hindsight and talking with family has shown that have been developing symptoms since my honeymoon and even longer!
For my friend, Laura, whom is stage 4, she had and still, while getting treatment, has NO SYMPTOMS...her cancer is in her breast, her liver,her lungs and her bone She has not one ache.



CRAZZZZZZY disease I tell ya

Re: Question about Cancer diagnosing

Thanks for all the responses. My heart goes out to everyone who has been affected by any of these diseases. My husband acts like I am a hypochondriac but I don't care. Better safe than sorry.

Re: Question about Cancer diagnosing

Posted by GenLCSW

my mom passed away from breast cancer 17 years ago. Initially she went to the doctor and was misdiagnosed. When she was finally diagnosed properly, she had a mastectomy but it was too late because the cancer already spread. She went back to the doctor because she was having difficulty walking...she thought that it was a vitamin deficiency of some sort but it turned out that the cancer spread to her liver It was terrible

Re: Question about Cancer diagnosing

Re: Question about Cancer diagnosing

my moms hand starting to go numb. She thought it was carpal tunnel and after going to a chiropractor, she went to a neurologist. She had stage 4 lung cancer that spread to the brain. Diagnosed on friday, brain surgery on sunday morning and lung surgery 2 weeks later. She has been cancer free for 6 years.

Re: Question about Cancer diagnosing

Posted by Superkat

My FIL went to the doctor because he was coughing a lot. The doctor took x-rays and blood tests and they told him that he had allergies. He went to the ER 2 months later and his lung had collapsed because he had a tumor in his lung. He died from the lung cancer 1.5 years later. The oncologist looked at his original x-rays and said that he should have been on chemo immediately instead of allergy meds. By the time his lung collapsed, he had stage 3b cancer.

We still miss you, Pop!

Re: Question about Cancer diagnosing

My stepsister found a large lump on her arm... It was removed and then biopsied... it turned out to be a very rare malignant cancer...

Re: Question about Cancer diagnosing

my Mom wasn't feeling well, first she had a rash, then bumps, then she just felt tried and achy

being that she was a teacher- they thought maybe 5ths diease, they kept testing her for every virus known to man and most were coming back postitive

she kept getting worse and worse (this went on for about 2 to 3 months)

then finally her GYN- (props to 3 Village OBGYN) noticed her lymph nodes were swollen and suggested a biopsy

had they not- she would have been dead with in a few months- she had lymphoma

Re: Question about Cancer diagnosing

hmmm...I guess the thing I have always wondered is how do you know that you SHOULD go to the doctor. For instance I have had back pain before, and chest pain etc most of us have I assume but when do you know that this time its different (applies to heart atatcks etc.)

Even though I'm kind of a hypochondriac I am really bad at those things - I walked around for 2 days with my lung collapsed thinking it was gas - so I'm always afraid I would miss the clues.

Oh and to alll who have or have had family members go through cancer.

Re: Question about Cancer diagnosing

Re: Question about Cancer diagnosing

my best friend found out recently... her dad died suddenly in sept and shehasnt been the same since.

she was getting night sweats, very tired, sick all the time,...thought it was the emotional mental state from her dad
went to dr for which she thought were swollen glands...
he said those were her lymph nodes.. wanted to rule out lymes disease... never thought of cancer...
took blood and a biopsy...
Hodgkins Stage 2..

her 2nd chemo treatment is tomorrow...