Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Suggest Treatment For Stage 4 Thyroid Cancer
Question: My 92 year old Dad is in hospice, he has bone mets throughout his body, and multiple lesions on his liver. He also has a malignant pleural effusion and has begun to cough up blood. We believe this is all from Thyroid Cancer. Although he had prostate and colon cancer 10+ years ago. He appetite is not close to nil (except he will eat an egg at breakfast). He is mostly incontinent. He also has advanced stage CHF, which he takes meds for HBP. He complains of some back pain but refuses all pain medication. He spends all day and night in a recliner, he sleeps off and on all day and night, and at some time is quite groggy other times, he is fairly alert.
Based upon this I am thinking he has days to a couple weeks at best, am I wrong?
Based upon this I am thinking he has days to a couple weeks at best, am I wrong?
Brief Answer:
Survival time around 1 month
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Your dad is suffering from stage 4 thyroid cancer.
Aim of treatment now should only be basic supportive care.
As he is coughing up blood you can give him Tranexamic acid 500 mg tablets twice daily for 3 days with doctors advise.
As he is refusing all pain medication you can apply buprenorphine 10 mg transdermal patches with your doctors advise for his back pain.
He can apply one patch to a dry, non-irritated, non-hairy area of his skin on his upper body such as his chest, upper back, or the outside of his arms. Leave it in place for seven days and then remove it and replace it with a new patch, but apply the replacement patch to a different area of skin on his upper body. He has to avoid using the area from where he had removed the patch for at least three weeks. Continue to replace your patches once a week, on the same day of the week.
I will also advise Cyproheptadine syrup to increase his appetite which he can take with doctors advise.
Average survival time during this stage is around 1 month.
Regards
DR DE
Survival time around 1 month
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Your dad is suffering from stage 4 thyroid cancer.
Aim of treatment now should only be basic supportive care.
As he is coughing up blood you can give him Tranexamic acid 500 mg tablets twice daily for 3 days with doctors advise.
As he is refusing all pain medication you can apply buprenorphine 10 mg transdermal patches with your doctors advise for his back pain.
He can apply one patch to a dry, non-irritated, non-hairy area of his skin on his upper body such as his chest, upper back, or the outside of his arms. Leave it in place for seven days and then remove it and replace it with a new patch, but apply the replacement patch to a different area of skin on his upper body. He has to avoid using the area from where he had removed the patch for at least three weeks. Continue to replace your patches once a week, on the same day of the week.
I will also advise Cyproheptadine syrup to increase his appetite which he can take with doctors advise.
Average survival time during this stage is around 1 month.
Regards
DR DE
Note: For further queries related to kidney problems Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
