Diagnosis

Good morning Sp87,

Thanks for getting in touch, and welcome to our online community.

My name’s Karla, I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists on the Macmillan Support Line.

It’s great to see you’ve joined our lung cancer and supporting someone with incurable cancer forums. The understanding and support offered here is truly amazing.

Nothing could have prepared you for hearing that your mum may only have 12 months to live. It’s something that’s incredibly hard to get your head around.

Only your mum’s consultant can explain why they’ve given this estimate. It’s difficult, even for the most experienced cancer specialist, to predict how long a person is likely to live for (prognosis).  The reason for this is that each person will be affected differently by their illness. Factors such as where the cancer has spread to, how a person responds to treatment, their age, and general health can all influence how long they may live for.  Even two people, with the same type and stage of cancer, can have a different prognosis.

When doctors estimate life expectancy or give survival statistics, they can only offer average figures. It’s important to remember that no doctor can precisely predict what will happen. If your mum responds well to her chemotherapy treatment her life expectancy could be longer. If she doesn’t respond as well as hoped, sadly her time may be shorter.

I’m not sure where you’ve read or heard about people living for 7 years or more however there are always patients who defy the odds and do incredibly well. We know that if small cell lung cancer is detected early, before it has spread or when the spread is limited, that it can sometimes be controlled for longer.

Feeling lost, sad, angry, confused and broken is natural when someone you love is diagnosed with cancer. There’s no right or wrong way to feel. This news is devastating and can be really hard to come to terms with.

It’s important to give yourself time to take in what’s happening. When you feel ready to, sharing your fears and sadness with the people you love and trust helps. Many people say that talking about their feelings helps them to cope better.

If you find sharing your thoughts and emotions too difficult and prefer to keep things to yourself, that’s ok too. You can only do what feels right for you. Sometimes speaking to someone outside your immediate family and friends is easier. Like talking through what’s happening with us.

I hope this information helps.

Best wishes,

Karla, 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 KS/FP