Posts by Angela Wright

velvetmarlin17, do you or someone you know have some kind of malignant disease?

feralseal80 said:So, about two weeks ago, this Bubbles with a thick membrane popped up on the inside of my lower lip. It felt hard to the touch—like, enough to be painful—but surprisingly, it wasn't. Even when I didn't mess with it, it would just vanish and then reappear in the exact same spot.

I finally squeezed it tonight, and honestly, this clear, mucus-like liquid came oozing out, though it was way thicker than normal slime.

Anyone have a clue what this could be? Some kind of aggressive or nasty version of a canker sore, or maybe something else entirely? 😕

If it looks like this, you're looking at a canker sore.

ironlynx41 said:I really need some help interpreting these tumor marker results!

Following colon surgery, I just had my first round of markers done so we can decide on the next steps for treatment.
Here are the numbers:

CEA - 1.3 mcg/mL ( CA-19-9 - 8 U/mL ( CA-125 - 8 U/mL ( CA-15-3 - 17 U/mL (
From what I gather, CEA is a general marker, CA-15-3 is specific to colon cancer, while CA-19-9 and CA-125 are for breast or ovarian cancer.

Are these results actually too high, even though they are well within the reference range? Do these markers need to hit zero, or is being below the threshold considered healthy?

Thanks! 🙏

Look, tumor markers aren't a foolproof diagnostic tool on their own. They are used primarily to track progress during treatment—like gauging how well a drug is working—or to flag something suspicious that needs further investigation.
Markers almost never sit at zero. These values are perfectly normal.

Laura Long79 said:From what I know—I actually know someone who went through this—liver transplants can be done in the USA, and the results have been solid. Sure, there are specific criteria you have to meet for the transplant to even be an option, but it’s doable. The main catch is the high risk of recurrence, which is probably why the whole thing is so expensive and controversial. You could also look into getting it done in Padua.

Could you please point me toward some links for clinics in Padua or the USA that perform these procedures? Every doctor I talk to keeps insisting they won't perform transplants on patients with a cancer diagnosis. I've never been able to get a straight answer as to why.

Laura Long79 said:On top of that, you could look into a liver transplant or just having the tumor surgically removed.

Unfortunately, a liver transplant isn't an option for cancer patients—it’s a standard protocol globally, just like any other organ transplant. I haven't dug deep enough to find the exact medical reasoning yet, but my gut feeling is that it comes down to triage. They have to prioritize people with a much higher probability of recovery over someone fighting cancer who still has to endure grueling chemo rounds. Plus, there's the massive risk of the body rejecting the organ because their immune system is already trashed from previous treatments. It's a high-stakes gamble they aren't willing to take.
If the tumor hasn't metastasized and is localized in one compact spot within the organ, then surgery is definitely the best way to go.

Robert Grant84 said:Back at the clinic, when she saw the psychiatrist over by Hilltop... I'm honestly terrified she’s going to get hooked on these pills for the long haul. When my dad mentioned seeing a specialist, I was expecting some kind of psychological support system, not just a prescription pad. This whole "just take the meds" approach really rubs me the wrong way; if it were up to me, I'd rather they stop taking them entirely. I’m stuck in this limbo—is it better to stay on them or cut them off?
Where can I actually find real psychological support?

Check out Dr. Mary Braš at the clinic. She’s a psycho-oncologist who specializes in running an outpatient clinic specifically for cancer patients.
Also, the "All For Her" foundation offers professional psychological counseling for women battling cancer. You can find more info here:

Robert Grant84 said:It’s been about six weeks since my mom had surgery for colon cancer (with a few lymph nodes involved)... physically, she’s bouncing back, finally starting to put some weight back on after dropping over 20 pounds during the ordeal, though her iron levels are still running a bit low.
The real issue is that she’s lost all faith in actually getting better; she’s pretty depressed, and honestly, seeing her like this is gut-wrenching for us. We took her to a psychiatrist, and they prescribed two pills. Should she actually take them, or will her mental state improve naturally as time passes? Next week, she’s scheduled to meet with the doctors regarding radiation or chemo, so she’ll be around more people dealing with the exact same struggles.

Where is she receiving treatment?
Just so you know, there are places in NYC where you can get actual psychological support that’s way more effective than just popping pills.

Smoking combined with birth control pills ramps up the risk of thrombosis and blood clots, which can lead to things like strokes or pulmonary embolisms. I haven't personally taken Yazoo, but if you look at the inserts that come with Yasmin, for instance, they lay out those risks pretty clearly. It seems like every young woman who died suddenly while on Yasmin was a smoker. Nobody really hit the nail on the head regarding that specific connection when the scandal first broke.

Samuel Reed5 said:Hey everyone, I really need some information, an answer, or just some help...

My dad has been fighting lung cancer for seven months now. They wouldn't operate because they said it wouldn't make a difference. He’s holding up okay considering everything—he's on pain meds and his movement has slowed down, but he's still mobile, which has been the case for the last three months. He’s had two rounds of chemo and goes in for the third tomorrow. Tonight, his pain spiked, and I noticed his right arm is incredibly swollen. Usually, he's quite thin, just like most people facing this kind of battle. Does anyone know what could be causing that swelling?

p.s. My heart goes out to all of us in this position, especially our loved ones who are sick.

It’s possible the tumor has metastasized and is pressing against a vein, which causes the arm to swell. Is the arm looking red at all? If it is, there’s a chance he might have a blood clot. Either way, you need to get him in front of a doctor immediately.

Nathan Kelly5 said:In my book, mental health isn't some secondary concern compared to physical health—it’s just as vital. So, saying she ate well or didn't smoke? That doesn't settle the matter. There's always a risk, even when someone follows every medical recommendation to the letter.

Absolutely. That’s exactly why I wrote my previous post. Once you actually sit down and process things, a lot of what happened becomes glaringly obvious.

Eric Diaz75 said:My dad’s heart stopped beating this past Sunday. He lost the fight, even though he was swinging at it until the very last second—even Sunday morning, he was trying so hard to reach out and let us help him up.
The only thing I’ve learned through all this nightmare is that you can count the doctors who actually know what they're doing at the Coors Field clinic in Boston on one hand. If you ever find yourself in this position, my advice is to run as far away from here as possible. In this place, people in white coats grab money by the shovelful while doing absolutely nothing to help patients.
How do they live with themselves?
Thank you all for the support, especially Angela Wright. All I can do now is hope Dad is in a better place.
Best,

Hannah, I am so incredibly sorry. Please accept my deepest condolences.
Unfortunately, when dealing with an illness like the one your father had, doctors are often powerless—especially when they're stuck working within broken healthcare systems like the ones we see here in America. They end up just guessing. Since I've been spending more time around medical professionals lately, I can see how frustrated they actually are. Sure, there are plenty of parasites in the field, but most of them are just miserable, bitter people.
Hang in there, and may your father rest in peace.

Morgan Newman7 said:Hey there.
I was wondering if anyone here has experience using natural oils on the skin during radiation therapy to try and prevent skin damage.
For instance, would applying something like black seed oil be harmful or counterproductive?

You absolutely should not put anything on your skin before or after radiation treatments. There's a constant risk that certain substances contain metallic ions that can actually worsen the burns caused by the radiation.
Check out Mayo Clinic for all the essential advice on how to manage skin care during radiation.

Eric Diaz75 said:We’ve gone over this with several different doctors, and the consensus is that things aren't quite as dire as they initially seemed. His cancer markers have actually decreased, and his treatment plan is moving along successfully. Honestly, everything was looking steady, which is why I'm feeling so uneasy right now—he's just had a really rough few days, and it’s hard not to worry when things take a sudden dip like this.
I honestly can't tell if it's because of the brain damage from the chemo, or if he just hasn't eaten anything lately. 😢

Look, there’s a standard protocol for treating colorectal cancer. If you've got those wild-type markers confirmed by a K-ras test, the go-to options are Avastin or Erbitux.
Both of these medications are smart choices, and they come with way fewer side effects than the chemo your dad is currently battling. Honestly, I think it’s completely idiotic to keep stabbing someone with something that absolutely wrecks them—both physically and mentally—just out of a desperate hope that it might work, especially when there are these newer, innovative drugs available that actually target the tumor directly.
If Dad actually has melanoma—I’m still not entirely sure if he does—then it is absolutely justified to start him on one of these two medications as his first line of treatment. Especially now that they've finally been added to the Medicare formulary. If we wait until things progress to a second-line treatment, the government isn't going to pick up the tab anymore; he'll be stuck paying for it out of his own pocket, and let me tell you, these drugs are incredibly expensive. Otherwise, you just keep taking the medication for as long as it remains effective, which could easily mean decades of treatment.

Eric Diaz75 said:They can get Avastin whenever they want, but their doctor—who happens to be a close family friend—thinks it’s not the right move for this specific situation and believes the current chemo should handle it. He argues that while it might be the "best" treatment, it’s also incredibly brutal on the body. :S

Honestly, look, you need to get a second opinion. Just because someone is a friend and thinks they know what's best doesn't mean they're some infallible genius who has all the answers.

Beyond just seeing an ENT, you should probably check in with a gastroenterologist too. I’m thinking you might be dealing with Republican Party issues.

Eric Diaz75 said:So, I could really use some advice if anyone has any.
My dad was diagnosed with colorectal cancer that had already spread to his liver last September. He had surgery to remove the primary tumor and then started chemo. However, right after the surgery, he went to see a specialist with my sister—this doctor was incredibly rude and condescending, and during that appointment, my dad suddenly felt numbness spreading down his entire left side. When it came time to start chemotherapy, they discovered two small spots on his brain. They think it’s metastasis, though we can't rule out that the stress from that encounter with the doctor might have triggered a stroke. It seems like once a cancer diagnosis hits, doctors tend to label every single abnormality as a metastasis without actually running the necessary tests to prove it. 🙏
After a few rounds of radiation, those spots on the brain shrank slightly, so he started taking dexamethasone to keep things under control. Then he moved on to chemo—eight cycles of Xeloda. He’d get an infusion every other week and then take two Xeloda pills orally for the rest of that week.
He was doing great at first; no nausea, he was working, walking, handling everything himself just like he wasn't even sick. The cancer seemed to be receding, and his labs were always looking good. But once that therapy reached its limit—meaning it stopped fighting the cancer and started just tearing his body apart—his blood counts tanked. The doctors prescribed eight more cycles of a much more aggressive regimen. I don't know the exact name, but doctors usually refer to these as the heaviest-hitting treatments available in the US. After the treatment, he'd be wiped out and unable to even stand up, but that would only last a couple of days before he was back to feeling fine. We even tried to get him access to Avastin, but the doctor said it wasn't necessary since the situation wasn't critical yet, and feared it would just further deplete his system.
Well, after his last treatment this past Tuesday, July 27th, 2010, he was weak for a few days and then seemed okay again. But then, this Sunday, he suddenly stopped eating entirely. He has no strength in his arms or legs, refuses to talk, and if he tries to eat anything, he vomits immediately. Since he takes so many medications but isn't eating, he just throws the pills right back up. His urine has turned a reddish color. He’s already had two IV infusions, but he keeps vomiting. This morning, we rushed him to the ER because he was a total wreck; he couldn't even lift his head, so we had to carry him in on a stretcher. They ran scans on his heart and lungs, checked his blood work, and monitored his blood pressure, and everything came back perfect. The doctors say this is "normal" given his diagnosis because he hasn't been eating. They gave him some nutritional fluids—basically a liquid meal replacement for chemo patients—and anti-nausea meds, because one day he took Zofran and still vomited. They think the IV will stabilize him and he'll be better soon.
Today, my mom and sister helped him to the bathroom, and even though they were practically carrying him, he collapsed and lost consciousness. He came to quickly, but his eyes rolled back in his head.
I'm hoping it's just because he hasn't eaten, considering he's dealing with about 30 pills a day, constant infusions, and heavy-duty chemo. But I'm terrified that something is happening with those spots on his brain, especially since he didn't take his dexamethasone last night to prevent vomiting, and I worry the cancer might have spread to his stomach.
We considered leaving him in the hospital today because we honestly don't know how to handle it when things go south like they did today. But then again, I think he'll get better care at home. In a hospital, the nurses might let him vomit or deal with his bathroom needs, which just leaves him suffering through the cleanup and changing. By the time they get to him with a basin, he'll have probably thrown up another hundred times. At home, we make sure that doesn't happen. We bought him adult diapers today because we don't want to put him through the struggle of trying to get to the toilet.
If anyone has any thoughts or advice, please just be straight with me—I need the honest truth, whatever it may be.
I just want this whole nightmare to be over. It’s gut-wrenching to watch someone who was perfectly fine and active just a few days ago now stuck in bed, suffering and unable to move.

Did your dad ever receive Avastin, and did any of your doctors even bring it up during his treatment?

Susan Hayes25 said:Angela Wright, please help,
I was just at my mom's follow-up appointment with her doctor yesterday, and it's time to start her second cycle of Temozolomide.
The scariest part is seeing how terrified she is. I practically begged her to just prescribe the start of the second cycle, but she came up with a hundred excuses as to why she wouldn't—it’s clearly just easier for her to give up. But how can we just quit? And how can she judge the effectiveness of Temozolomide based on just one completed cycle?
Anyway, Mom is currently on 16 mg of dexamethasone, and the doctor tells me we're going to taper it down gradually, prescribing a drop to 13 mg. Fine. But this reduction starts today.
The Temozolomide starts tomorrow, and on top of that, she wrote for dexamethasone 4 tablets of 0.5 mg four times a day, which means a total of 4 mg daily!!!!!!!
It's the same old story—surprises from this doctor that I only catch after I've left her office and finally have some peace to read the paperwork. I cannot believe she wants to slash the dex from 13 mg to 4 mg in a single day while starting Temozolomide. It’s horrific. It’s like she has no clue what kind of reaction that's going to trigger. To make matters worse, she threatened me about potential bleeding caused by corticosteroids and lectured me on how harmful they are. Look, all drugs have side effects; we don't exactly have a luxury of choice here. I'm terrified that if I drop the dose like this, it’ll be a total catastrophe, but the doctor couldn't care less. She's just scared.
What should I do? I feel terrible. The Temozolomide is supposed to start tomorrow, and I have everything else ready. Plus, it's the weekend, so I'll be with her all day monitoring everything.
Was your mom taking dexamethasone along with the Temozolomide? And at what dosage? Thanks so much in advance.

Ugh....
I honestly cannot believe what she just wrote regarding the dex.😲
When you're dealing with a brain tumor, steroids are simply a necessary evil. If intracranial pressure spikes, everything goes downhill fast.
My mother was on steroids until the very end of her life. We adjusted the dosage up and down based on how she was doing. There isn't any other way, and that's exactly what the hospital advised us. At one point, Mom was on 24 mg, then we dropped to 18, then there was a period at just 8 mg, and eventually, she stayed steady at 14 mg.
It is especially vital that she stays on the dex while taking Temozolomide because, besides controlling brain edema, it also manages the nausea.
Lower the dose to 14 mg. They advised me to adjust the dose in 2 mg increments. Spread those doses out over three meals; if she takes the whole dose at once, the effect wears off by the end of the day and her condition could take a sudden turn for the worse. Watch her closely and taper slowly. If she starts crashing, bump it back up by 2 mg immediately.
Legally, a doctor can't just stop giving Temozolomide or any other medication without a valid reason—like if, after the first cycle given within 30 days of radiation, an MRI shows no improvement or at least no progression. Other reasons include a terrible blood count or severe side effects, etc. If she tries to pull this nonsense, warn her that you are well-informed about how this works. I have no idea what kind of protocol she's actually treating her with. Where is she even getting her treatment?
Send me the answer via PM, and feel free to tell me the doctor's full name.

Angela Wright said:I have to admit, while my experience with brain tumors has unfortunately been indirect, I’ve never actually come across the term "benign astrocytoma." To me, that sounds like a total oxymoron. From what I understand, astrocytomas are malignant tumors arising from those astrocyte cells in the brain.
Given the diagnosis, all I can really say is there's a tumor mass located near the pontocerebellar angle—if I recall correctly, that's right around the level of the auditory nerve—and that mass is pressing against the brainstem.
I assume anyone dealing with this diagnosis would be experiencing some kind of neurological deficit.

That said, I did a little digging online and found out that it actually is a thing: http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/b/beni...toma/intro.htm
Basically, the distinguishing features are that they don't cause edema and lack the surrounding blood vessels that feed more aggressive tumors. However, symptoms still occur, such as shifts in mental state, emotional instability, forgetfulness, and so on. Unfortunately, these tumors have a tendency to transition from benign to malignant. In my opinion, the key to treatment here is whether they are operable, which comes down to the skill of the neurosurgeon. As a layman, it seems like the location should make surgery an option, but I worry that being so close to the auditory nerve could result in hearing loss.

Justin Ortiz said:What does a diagnosis of "benign pontocerebellar angle astrocytoma with brainstem compression" actually mean?
Thanks

I have to admit, even though I’ve unfortunately had some indirect experience dealing with brain tumors, I’ve never actually come across the term "benign astrocytoma." To me, it sounds almost like an oxymoron. From what I understand, astrocytomas are malignant tumors arising from astrocytes—those specific brain cells.
Based strictly on the diagnostic wording, all I can tell you is that there is a tumor mass located at the pontocerebellar angle (if I'm not mistaken, that's right around the level of the auditory nerve) and that this mass is putting pressure on the brainstem.
I’d assume someone with this diagnosis is experiencing certain neurological deficits.

northernhawk29 said:Could you perhaps be a bit more direct and just give me the gist of what actually matters here?

Look, I haven't exactly done a deep dive into the fine print, so I can't give you the specifics, but I do know that whatever you're looking for is covered under that federal law.