HR positive non breast cancer?

Hlta 13 days ago

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We saw our palliative care doctor at our local hospice today and she said my husband is HR positive. We didnt question it as she suggested that was good because it means he might be suitable for hormone therapy.

However when I came home and put it in the search on this site everything co ing up was about breast cancer. My husbands diagnosis is :

Primary submandibular cancer

With secondaries in his liver, bones, brain lining, spine, lymph nodes and neck.

Spinal compression.

He also has lymphedema in legs that has pustules, arms and head swelling that has caused blurry vision because its affecting his eyes.

So how does the HR+ come into it.

Sorry to be a nuisance

Kirsty-Macmillan 12 days ago

Hi Hlta,

I’m Kirsty one of the cancer information nurse specialists that work on the Macmillan support line.

Thanks for getting in touch. Your husband sounds to be struggling with several symptoms related to his cancer. Hopefully the hospice team are helping to manage these better and are a good support for you both.

I can understand why after so many difficult conversations, that you might hear some positive news and forget to ask any questions. Trying to make sense of this by yourself will bring its own anxiety. Please arrange another chat with either the palliative nurse or consultant, to talk more about treatment options when HR positive.

Perhaps reading some information about targeted and hormone treatment for salivary gland cancer, will help with this conversation.

It is important that you both understand what exactly has been said to enable you to make informed treatment decisions. It is not clear if your husband is eligible for treatment and so this may be your first question? If eligible, ask for the name of the treatment suggested to allow you both to consider the aim, benefits, and side effects together.

Unfortunately, I don’t have access to your husbands record to give you more detailed information. But you can use this time to gather the information yourselves.

I appreciate how difficult waiting for treatment to start can be. I do hope that the hormone treatment mentioned is able to be prescribed soon, and that benefits felt improves your husband’s quality of life.

Best wishes

Kirsty, Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email.

Ref/ KHa

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HR positive non breast cancer?