80 yr old with hodgkins lymphoma...any help is great!?

Question

My grandma (80yrs old) was just diagnosed with hodgkins lymphoma. She's really weak with the night sweats, fever, chills, shortness of breath. I really don't know what to expect anymore. She seems to be getting worse but their talking about putting her in Chemo for 6 months. If anyone out there has seen similar situations and has any advise or warnings please feel free. Thanks

Answer 1

none of have tomorrow guaranteed to us, not you, not your grandmother, not anyone... I would suggest that you make the most of each day you have with your grandmother, it could be your last day, or hers.

as for treatment... that is a decision she must make based on what her doctors tell her.

Answer 2

Michelle M,

You may find the answers that you seek at this link

http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/

help/default.asp?page=4239

Hope this helps

matador 89

Answer 3

Hodgkins lymphoma is treatable but the treatment at her age and with her symptoms may be worse than the disease. Chemotherapy for this disease is rigorous, and she will become more ill with potential infections and worsening breathing/heart problems depending on which medications they prescribe. Her shortness of breath could be related to the location of the lymphoma (in her chest). All these symptoms are classic for hodgkin's.

Following the advice the medical doctors is best, but be sure to ask about "supportive" care which is less aggressive if she has other health problems and does poorly with chemo.

Also see if they will give her a port or some kind of permanent IV to have during treatment. Typically older patients have a harder time with their veins and the chemo for hodgkins will cause pain/tingling and even make them shrink.

Best hopes for her.  

Answer 4

Sorry to hear of your grandma's diagnosis.

I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease last year.  My treatment was eight months worth of ABVD chemotherapy.  ABVD is pretty standard for Hodgkin's, and most advanced case people get 6-8 cycles.

I would talk to the oncologist carefully about Bleomycin in particular.  Bleo is the "B" drug -- it is associated with pulmonary toxicity.  Not everyone gets it thankfully, but it is a known side effect of Bleo.  The chance of pulmonary toxicity goes up in older people.  The pulmonary toxicity with Bleo can sometimes be fatal.  Bleo is the least important drug in the regimen, and some studies suggest people who can't have Bleo do as well as those who do get it.

You also need to talk about the "A" drug -- Adriamycin.  It is associated with cardiotoxicity.  Again, the incidence increases as you get older.  Adriamycin is the workhorse of the regimen (probably the most important drug), however, so it may be considered a necessary evil.  Nevertheless, ask how she will be monitored for this side effect.

The chemo for Hodgkin's is a long course, but it isn't as severe as some shorter regimens.  If she does decide to do chemotherapy, you probably will see results quickly.  I had massive disease -- shortness of breath, SVC syndrome, severe anemia, and a huge abdominal mass, and literally by the second treatment the mass was nearly gone and the shortness of breath was much, much better.

Since she has systemic symptoms, I think chemo will be your best bet, but you can also ask about radiation.  Usually radiation follows chemo for some patients.  But it can also be used to knock back the disease and temporarily shrink masses if necessary.  I would ask about possibly trying a steroid like Prednisone or Medrol to help with the shortness of breath.  Although they don't really cure Hodgkin's, they can help shrink the masses.  Much of a Hodgkin's Disease mass is actually just inflammation.  (One thing that makes Hodgkin's different from many other cancers.)  I was put on Prednisone prior to therapy to help with the SVC syndrome and shortness of breath.

As suggested by the oncology nurse who answered -- you will want to carefully weigh the good treatment does against the bad.  At 80 years old, you want to maintain the best quality of life possible.  Hodgkin's is extremely common in young adults (like me), so they are often aiming for a very long term cure.  In someone in their 80s, two years or so might be a lot.  In other words, what's best for young adults with Hodgkin's may not be best for your grandma.

And a port is a VERY good idea.

ABVD is a pretty tolerable chemo regimen.  It causes some fatigue, hair loss, and some nausea, but most of these side effects can be managed very well.  I wrote a blog about my experience with Hodgkin's; if you are interested, email me through Yahoo! answers and I will give you a link.  If you otherwise think I can be of help, you can also email me that way.  I have quite a few resources and links about Hodgkin's Disease.

Good luck.

Answer 5

im so sorry to hear this.

i havent had anyone in my family with hodgkins lymphoma, but one of my relatives have gone through chemo. she is fine now, it saved her life.

all i can tell you is to take things one day at a time. be there for her. goodluck.