My mom just got diagnosed and I am very scared. The doctors said that you only have a 5 year life span even if she beats it now, has anyone else heard that?. What can I expect, she will have surgery to remove the tumor this week and tehn start chemo and radiation. what about proton theraphy? What helps with all the synptons after chemo? How soon will she loose her hair?

Sandy,

Please check with the medical staff looking after your mum, as you or your mum may have misunderstood some of what they were saying. It's really confusing when they give the disagnosis of cancer, I know I didn't take in everything they said, as I was swamped by much too much information.

The statistics for cancer survival are given as a five year survival rate. After treatment all patients are monitored carefully for the next five years, and only after that are they considered to be cured.

I hope you and your Mum can talk to someone who can explain this more fully. This must be a very worrying time for you, but there are people on this site who can listen, and offer explanations, help and advice if you need it.

Hair loss will depend on where her tumour is, and what chemotherapy she is treated with. In most cases it is only temporary, and her hair will grow back a few months after the treatment ends. Don't worry you will soon get used to seeing your mum without her hair, but over the next few months she will need lots of love and support from you.

Hi Sandy,
Jenni is right in that you should check with the consultant about the 5 year mark.
Not all chemo drugs result in hair loss. And it can dedpend on the stregnth given. For example i found that by my 6th(last) "cycle" my hair had thinned alot all over but i didn't lose it all. And it started to grow back a month after chemo finnished.
Different things can help during chemo, duch as good anti sickness meds, good oral hygeine, and trying to keep the weight up before your mum starts radiotherapy.
Proton therapy is a kind of radio therapy that is usually only used to treat a few specific tumours. The proton beam can be precisely focused to target the tumour.
Good luck with your time to come.

Michelle

Thanks I will ask the doctor about the 5 year mark, if it's like you said I will feel so much better.