Cancers Forum - help for my mother - advanced cancer of vulva, need options

Cancer > Cancers Forum > help for my mother - advanced cancer of vulva, need options

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Q: help for my mother - advanced cancer of vulva, need options

asked by: help4mom on December 3rd, 2007

New User

My mother was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva and has undergone surgery, radiation and chemo over the past 2 months. Unfortunately, it hasn't worked. Now she is faced with major pelvic reconstruction and colostomy at Sloan/Kettering in NY. The doctor just reviewed her latest mri and said he may not be able to do anything for her now.
What do we do now?
What other options are there if her doctor thinks the cancer is so far advanced that he is not willing to perform surgery?
I am trying to get any advice I can to help my mother.
We are willing to look into any alternatives that are out there.
My mother and father are so overwhelmed with all of this that I don't think they are capable of doing much of this research right now.
They are waiting and hoping for someone to come up with anything to help.

Replies(2)

MandMs

replied on December 14th, 2007

Extremely eHealthy

I guess your mother got recurrence of disease after initial treatment.
Do you know if the doctors have classified the recurrences as local, inguinal or distant?
Surgical excision is the treatment of choice in all patients with vulvar carcinoma, irrespective of the stage of the disease and the nature of the surgery should be individualised to the patient.

help4mom

replied on December 15th, 2007

New User

It Has Gotten Worse

My mother's doctor has just informed her that surgery is no longer an option. The cancer has spread into areas that are too difficult for him to get to without complications. She is scheduled for chemo again starting next week, but he has told her that it will only slow down the cancer.
I do not know the terminology he used to classify the recurrence.
We were thinking of mentioning the "cyber knife" method of radiation as well as getting a lung cancer drug prescribed to see if it does anything for her squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva.
We are desparate. It seems her doctor has given up, and even my mother is sounding defeated. We need to come up with options quick.
We cannot let my mother give up as well - we are looking for anything else out there that might help. Does anyone have suggestions?

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