Medical Professionals: What kind of cancer is this?

[Mike 03]

Six days from diagnosis to death?

I was reading this book called "Being with Dying: Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death," by Joan Halifax. It is a great book, but it included a sentence from out of the blue about someone who went from diagnosis to death in six days?

She doesn't say what kind of cancer kills this quickly?

What could this be, if anybody knows. The only cancers I could think of were Pancreatic, possibly Brain?

God... Horrific.

I hate cancer.

[TwilightZone]

1. Diagnosis date and the date that they got cancer aren't the same thing.

So, the cancer didn't kill them in six days. They had it already, but it just wasn't diagnosed until shortly before death.

[Mike 03]

3. Understood. But I wonder how it was this person did not seek medical attention until this point?

But you make a good point.

[TwilightZone]

6. Some cancers don't display obvious symptoms.

My wife's grandmother had cancer that wasn't detected until they were doing exploratory surgery to determine the cause of some other acute symptoms.

[havocmom]

15. and some people can't get to medical care until they are that far gone

Yes, really, here in America.... but 'we're # 1' {rinse/lather/repeat until you almost believe we're still #1}

Fact: there are too many people who simply cannot get medical care in any resemblance of a timely manner.

[uppityperson]

25. Some people do not seek care, due to fear, finances, other things.

Friend's parent died bleeding to death from an easily treatable skin cancer. Treatment was simply remove it. No metastasis, nothing.

Parent did not get seen, was scared to get the diagnosis. Finally my friend noticed the smell and found a giant ulcerating wound on chest. We got to see the ribs before parent finally died.

It took months, but why this person did not seek medical attention was due to fear, and extreme privacy issues.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

10. Exactly ........

My friend Ed wasn't feeling all that great, but he was able to go to work - construction supervisor - and function pretty well. He was just tired all the time.

This went on for quite a while and then he had to see a doctor about something else, I don't remember what, and they discovered he had an acute form of leukemia.

Seven days later, he died...............

[konnichi wa]

2. Well, a diagnosis might be made just a week before termination.

Could be just about any kind, I imagine.

[supernova]

4. Many cancers go unnoticed

by the sufferer in the beginning.

Symptoms can seem mild or passing or maybe like something else more common.

Not everyone has the immidiate ability to tune in to his or her body and acertain if something feels off.

but wow, six days from dx to death, that's really really REALLY quick.

[FloridaJudy]

5. Lung cancer can be quick

Since many don't have symptoms until the disease is very advanced. My father died less than an week after being diagnosed, and I've known a few others who went equally fast. The tumor eats through an artery, and boom.

[kestrel91316]

7. Well, last December I lost my BEST cat 6 days after I diagnosed his

cancer in his chest, and less than two weeks after he developed the first indication that things weren't "right". Granted, I euthanized him. But he would have been dead within a couple of days because he had developed a solid tumor in his chest wall in the very narrow part near the neck and simply couldn't get any air.

If he were a person, he would have noticed the hard lump in between the ribs sooner (his was hidden in his "armpit"), and a brave thoracic surgeon might have bought some time, and chemo and radiation would have given some hope. But kitties don't usually have those options for this type of tumor - diagnosis often comes too late. Even if mom is a vet.

[K Gardner]

8. An undiagnosed cancer. No other cancer will kill in six days from "onset". Unfortunately,

many aren't diagnosed until very late with some cancers.

[HillbillyBob]

9. Multiple Myoloma can do that.

It really depends on the stage of cancer there are 4 stages.
1 is precancer to early stage, mostly treatable with minor surgery(minor being subjective. I have had three bouts with colo-rectal cancer.
The first round was stage 3 luckily not requiring chemo or radiation but surgery to section out and reattach. Painful 4 months of bedrest.
Second and third surgeries were only slightly less invasive same area stage 1 and stage 2 respectively.
I am not an expert. I have had a bunch of relatives die from Multiple Myoloma of the bones. Most went fairly quickly as their Drs kept telling them it was only arthritis. My beloved Gramma died in only 2 weeks after diagnosis.
Most cancers if caught in early stages can be surgically cured by removal.
2 3 4 stages require more intervention.
Organ cancers like liver, pancreas, brain, breast generally take surgery, chemo and or radiation. Stage 4 is usually terminal in any kind in that it has metastasized(spread to other organs or tissues.
I am sure there are other DUers that can provide a better explanation.

[Riley18]

11. There is a cancer of the lungs called something like Oat Cell which is very aggressive.

[knitter4democracy]

12. Lung cancer's the best bet.

STBX lost several patients in the last few years to lung cancer in less than a month from diagnosis. That's a horrible, horrible one.

[pdxmike]

13. A few thoughts from a doc

OK. I never read the book. But a few cancers are notorious quick movers OR are often very aggresive, and can be diagnosed late. Glioblastoma Multiforme (supposedly what Ted Kennedy has), Pancreatic cancers, or metastatic dz of unknown primary(usually adenocarcinoma) can fit the bill.
The other consideration is that certain cancers are notorious for wrecking havoc in other ways. Some can be associated with clotting disorders (coagulopathies). You may get a pulmonary embolism in a hypercaogulable state, or conversely have a hemorrhage for a variety of reasons. An unfortunately located metastatic focus (say in the brainstem) could do it. Or an intracranial met or primary tumor can bleed.
Certain cancers are notorious for causing so called paraneoplastic syndromes, which can lead to serious electrolyte disturbances, and cause cardiac arrythmias.

[KGodel]

18. wrecking havoc?

Seems like that would be a good thing.

Signed

Semantic Nazi

[KGodel]

19. My dad was a doc.

I'm not impressed. What else have you got?

[Habibi]

20. Yeah. 'Cause his/her post was all about the typo.

:eyes:

[KGodel]

22. Yeah, "typo"

Try "thinko", "mindo", "idoito", "stupido" or "I shouldn't be in this business".

[w8liftinglady]

23. My dad was 2 months from diagnosis until death

from pancreatic cancer.As a nurse,I've seen many,many people who literally do not/can not seek medical care until they are on death's doorstep.

[Warpy]

14. I've seen quite a bit of that

usually in people who just ignored all their symptoms until they simply could no longer function.

I've seen it with liver, lung, pancreatic and brain tumors.

[emsimon33]

21. Also, if they don't have insurance

[Occam Bandage]

16. Undiagnosed. nt

[distantearlywarning]

17. I knew someone that happened to.

I think it might have been cervical cancer, but I can't remember exactly what kind she had now.

In any case, she felt basically fine and was totally normal, then started feeling poorly over the space of a week. She went to the doctor, was diagnosed with end stage terminal cancer and died less than 4 days later. It was pretty shocking.

I think that if I had to die from cancer, I'd like it to be that way, though, rather than a long, protracted, painful fight.

[MiniMe]

24. A friend of mine's mother died a week after diagnosis

It was a case of late diagnosis, ovarian cancer. She knew something was very wrong, and she had everything in order before she went to the doctor. They hospitalized her immediately, and did surgery, but it was too late. She also basically gave up once she had the diagnosis. She hung around until she could see all her kids, and then quitely died. A very sad thing.

So I think late diagnosis and attitude play a large part of it.

[NJCher]

26. maybe it was the person's belief

This article in New Scientist tells about how people's minds can affect their health:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20227081.100-the-science-of-voodoo-when-mind-attacks-body.html?full=true

Toward the end of the article are examples of how quickly this can happen. Also, this article generated a huge number of comments, some of which are very interesting and that pertain to your question.


Cher