Living with advanced cancer

[laura-nswcc]

Advanced cancer - This means the cancer has spread from the original (primary) site or has come back (recurred).

Health professionals use several different terms to describe cancer that has moved beyond early stages, including secondary, metastatic, stage 4 and advanced. Sometimes health professionals don’t use a particular name. Regardless of the words used, it’s frightening to hear that the cancer has spread or come back.

Cancer Council offers general information about advanced cancer: what it is, how it is treated, what might happen and what support is available. There is also information for the family and friends of people who have advanced cancer. You may find reading about advanced cancer distressing – read what seems useful now and leave the rest until you’re ready.

Cancer Council has a webpage on Advanced Cancer which can be accessed via this link. Click through the pages on the left handside.

• https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/cancer-information/advanced-cancer/living-with-advanced-cancer/what... 

Additional resources

• 131120 Information and Support Line - Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm
• The Thing about Advanced Cancer podcast - https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/advanced-cancer-podcasts/ 
• Living with Advanced Cancer booklet - https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/LIVING1.pdf 

[MyheroCoolSpy]

Great share! Actually, this is something we should always be aware of.  We should be always ready because we don't know how traitor cancer is. 

[M-Nyby]

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I suppose I fall into this category of medical trouble. Treated for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and then a relapse and now it seems the cancer has caused a swelling of a membrane around my brain. Only way we knew, though, was because of comparing MRI results. I don't recall any special symptoms that had me worried about the problem.

Could be the moving of the cancer to that membrane was related to the relapse and not the first stages of trouble, because one MRI after the initial chemotherapy course seemed to show that all was okay.

I'm now on an inpatient course of chemotherapy and it could be this is going to work.

Seems to me that one lesson from this is some sort of program of MRIs to be able to spot trouble, like my case. But for what sorts of cancers that works, I don't know.

I don't know if anyone has any questions, but I don't mind answering any, within limits.

Seems a polite thing to do here is to participate.