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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Cancer / September 2006Cervical Cancer - Can't Eat
A friend has Cervial cancer and has had a series of strong radiation treaments. Just beginning the internal treatments. They say the tumor has shrunk some. Biggest problem is she hasn't been able to keep down food for most of the last 2 months and is slowly starving. She's gotten over 130 prescriptions filled in this time, quite a few of those dealing with the nausea/spasms/acidity and such. I'm not sure of the stage of this cancer or the prognosis, but think maybe it's IIIB or so. I live in NY she in Ky, been there a few weeks over the last 2 months, mostly she tries eating and throws it up, including some expensive pills. Any suggestions on how to deal with eating problems be appreciated. Lately she can't stand up without help, so she just keeps getting weaker. Thanks for any ideas! > A friend has Cervial cancer and has had a series of strong radiation > treaments. Just beginning the internal treatments. They say the tumor [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Any suggestions on how to deal with eating problems be appreciated. > Lately she can't stand up without help, so she just keeps getting weaker. Hello Jesse and welcome to alt.support.cancer although I'm sorry to hear what brings you here. There waa a husband of a woman here, 2 or 3 years ago, who had a similar cancer and had chemo and radiation, followed by internal radiation. I don't recall her not eating. I don't recall her throwing up. There has to be some details missing...and/or some other health problem, that they've not located yet. If your friend's also been having chemo, that might explain it; although usually it can be controlled with medicines. I assume they've tried an anti-nausea suppository? Have they installed a feeding tube? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feeding_tube A gastric feeding tube, or "G-tube", is a tube inserted through a small incision in the abdomen into the stomach and is used for long-term enteral nutrition. That's all I can think of at the moment. Please let us know. J > There has to be some details missing...and/or some other health problem, that > they've not located yet. > If your friend's also been having chemo, that might explain it; although > usually it can be controlled with medicines. A main detail is that her kidneys were affected by the tumor, what made her finally seek treatment. One kidney is probably lost the other last I heard was 60%. They hoping some med improves that. > I assume they've tried an anti-nausea suppository? Yes I believe that and other things, but will check. > Have they installed a feeding tube? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feeding_tube > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > That's all I can think of at the moment. Please let us know. > J When I spent a week with her I thought this was something that was needed. She was hospitalized to remove an external shunt. I watched all the stuff they put in drips, mostly saline solution. Then she needed 2 pints of blood before being released. She wasn't eating in hospitital either. BTW she is being treated by Markey cancer center, UKentucky. I'm thinking sweet drinks like soda and ice tea may cause some problems with damaged kidney. Havne't found any info on that yet. Thank you so much for input. > > There has to be some details missing...and/or some other health problem, that > > they've not located yet. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > her finally seek treatment. One kidney is probably lost the other last I > heard was 60%. They hoping some med improves that. Hello, if you're still out there. At first, I thought you meant the cervix tumor was pressing on the kidneys, but it would have to be awful large to reach that far (I think), which makes me wonder if you mean the cancer's in the kidneys? But then it wouldn't make sense (to me) to have the internal radiation therapy, because the treatment should be palliative (dose). I don't think a person can survive once the cancer's in the kidneys. Whether or not the cancer's in her kidneys, the kidneys are organs that are responsible for eliminating waste material from the blood by making urine and if one's non functionning and the other at a low level of function, the toxins can build up in the blood, causing a person to be very sick. I think someone (caregiver - relative -husband - best friend) should go meet with the doctors and get some facts directly from them. She needs to know if her cancer's curable or not and if she's near death (or misunderstood and was sent home to die), she deserves to have hospice care take care of her. If it's not in her kidney's, but the kidneys are malfunctining, she sure needs expert advice as to diet. Seems to me the dietician(s) at the hospital should be helping with that. Of course, these are theories, because none of us have spoken to her doctor(s). I hope that can happen, so the best decision(s) can be made for your friend. J What external shunt did she have removed? Your friend should have been visited by a dietician during her stay, did they recommend a special diet? Has she been evaluated by a Gl Specialist. Basically, your friend needs a careful evaluation, if the onocology team can't deal with it I would go to the primary care doctor. > Basically, your friend needs a careful evaluation, if the onocology > team can't deal with it I would go to the primary care doctor. I think that's a good idea. I can't get a "read" on the situation and haven't gotten Steph's either. J What external shunt did she have removed? Your friend should have been visited by a dietician during her stay, did they recommend a special diet? Has she been evaluated by a Gl Specialist. Basically, your friend needs a careful evaluation, if the onocology team can't deal with it I would go to the primary care doctor. > A friend has Cervial cancer and has had a series of strong radiation > treaments. Just beginning the internal treatments. They say the tumor [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > I live in NY she in Ky, been there a few weeks over the last 2 months, > mostly she tries eating and throws it up, including some expensive pills. Hello Jesse, I'm back to your original post. I checked out the hospital you mentioned and the protocol for Stage IB2 and up, is chemoradiation, which is consistent with protocols at other hospitals. So I have to believe that she's been on chemo and may still be. There's also an oncology nurse care manager and dietitian at that hospital. A relative of mine gave her sister a kidney. Years later, both are still doing well, so I can't see that being an issue causing the nausea and vomiting and/or starving, so I still can't sort out (in my mind) as to what is causing the problem. What do her specialists tell her about that? Are they scratching their heads as to what the problem is? Or do they know the cause, but can't solve a perhaps other problem, until after she's finished her cancer treatment? (these are questions to ask her and/or her treatment team). Here's some thoughts and/or questions (I have): What age is she? Is there someone with her, at home, to care for her? Does she drink or take other drugs or medicines, that her treatment team is unaware of? Are her bowels moving? (if not, that might indicate a blockage of some type). {see constipation - below) If her cancer has spread, I can't see them proceeding with the internal radiation. That would not make sense to me. How bad is it? Can she keep some meals down, but not others? Does it depend what she's eating on whether she vomits? Sometimes people have co-existing problems, but I would think they would have considered, such as: pancreatitis diseased gallbladder and/or stones in the gallbladder or stone blocking a bile duct. diseased appendix If she can't keep anything she eats in her system, I'd think blockage (of her bowels), possibly caused by the radiation, but that would be rare. *****Or problems with pain meds and constipation; then she'd need the oncology nurse care manager to help her out with that and/or find her some "home care" to help her out with that at home... Can you talk with her about these issues or speak with those caring for her at home and see what they think about these issues. Really, the hospital sounds competent to me, so it's still a mystery, unless it's as simple as pain med management and intermittent constipation... I will leave you with that to work on and see what replies come back. Let us know once you've gotten more answers. I hope she improves soon. J > If she can't keep anything she eats in her system, I'd think blockage (of her > bowels), possibly caused by the radiation, but that would be rare. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > I hope she improves soon. > J I try to keep posts brief to avoid boring people with details. Can see why this would be a problem when discussing complex issues like this. Anna is 45 YO mother of 2 grown boys. What I know, mostly comes from what she tells me on various phone calls. I've been there twice. They gave her 2 weeks off between the ext and int radiations, so we went to a quiet resort cabin for 10 days hoping to get her stronger. That whole time she kept down very little beyond sweet tea and soda. She lost some weight and seemed to be getting weaker. Was an anxious thing as she took one fall. She had a tube coming out one kidney about a foot long with some kind of valve. After a week the sponge seemed to show sign of infection. The fall, a bath she took or my forgetting the ointment on one bandage change all made me very nervous about us being so far from Lexington. I took her to friends house she is staying and a week later she was in hospital dealing with kidney infection problem. I went down and stayed in her room for 5 days. Still same, they'd bring meals she would pick a bit and often vomit. They did operation to remove the tube an replace with something like internal shunt. Way home she was weak at walking and getting up and down. I am home now. Last 2 weeks have been internal radiation. She tells me a few good days eating lately, with one bad in middle. As I understand it, kidney problems were caused by tumor blocking kidney discharge tubees. Tumor has shrunk from the treatments and has not spread elsewhere. The weight is down to 100 lb area now and she having some leg circulation problems. Needing blood because of kindney hormone not being produced (EPO?) I brought up the G-tube which neither of us understand why not used. She's lost lot of weight last couple months. She got notes for that and other things to ask about. As far as digestion, diareahha has been side affect of the various prescriptions. No constipation. I'm thinking the big problem is all the anxiety. Her living situation. Lost home and mainly staying with the friend who is older retired nurse who has responsibility for 2 grandkids. Thanks again for the input, she is much encouraged lately. > I brought up the G-tube which neither of us understand why not used. > She's lost lot of weight last couple months. She got notes for that > and other things to ask about. G tubes are sometimes useful for patients who can't eat because of throat problems. It wouldn't help someone who is losing weight because of advanced cancer. > As far as digestion, diareahha has been side affect of the various > prescriptions. No constipation. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Thanks again for the input, she is much encouraged lately. > J wrote:> If she can't keep anything she eats in her system, I'd think blockage > (of her [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > Lost home and mainly staying with the friend who is older retired nurse > who has responsibility for 2 grandkids. Could be anxiety, could be her bowels. Janet was vomiting and had messy BM's. Looks to me that she had a stool impaction; made a hole in her small bowel. It's hard for us to get a clear picture. If your sister's anemic, that can be the cancer or maybe the kidneys. I hope you'll have someone (doctor or hospice type) get in there and evaluate the situation, so then they'll know and you'll know whether you should go and when. Hugs J |
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