ALZ and Cancer; now what?

I’m so sorry that you have received this heartbreaking news.
Please keep us informed. We will be thinking of you.
If you haven’t already read the book “Being Mortal” by Atul Gawande. He has some excellent information about living out the end of life. If your mom is able to understand her condition it might help you understand what’s important to her.
Hugs to you both.

Met with the pulmonologist today. Her prognosis was not good. Because the nodes are in both lungs(lower lobe) and are bigger then 3 centimeters they think it’s probably cancer. They also told us she has COPD. My Mom smoked for many years. The doc said that with the COPD my Mom would have a higher chance of a lung collapsing with a biopsy and didn’t recommend it.

She mentioned pallitative care.

I can’t believe it.

Call in Palliative Care.

Did the pulmonary specialist say that they specifically were cancer? Texas mentioned a similar thing to this thread.

Serenity, I’m so sorry for you and your mom. After seeing people with Alzheimer’s drastically plummet who had any surgery that required general anesthesia, I would say no to any procedure requiring it at this point. Their families regretted putting their loved ones through the surgery. The patients all passed within a month of returning from being discharged from the hospitals or rehab places. I’m even second guessing having had my mom recently gone through an out patient skin cancer surgery. Now it’s a matter of wound care that isn’t healing well. If whatever is going on with our loved ones aside from the Alzheimer’s isn’t causing them pain or impairing them, I’m leaning towards leaving things be at this point. This is so difficult to say and even more difficult to do when you are the one making medical decisions for someone incapable of making them for themselves. Stay strong and big hug.

We do not know what type of dementia stepdad has, nor do we know what type of cancer has metastasized throughout his abdomen, and blood clots on his lungs but a similar situation.

He has an advanced directive, which helps.

We are almost at 4 weeks since he entered the hospital. He is on Palliative Care, being kept comfortable, but as Mum says 'No Heroics'.

My 88-year-old Mother has a chronic cough and had a CT scan of her lungs done. They found tiny nodes and the pulmonologist said he would just keep an eye on them. Nothing to worry about. Most elderly people do have nodes in their lungs and cysts in the kidneys.

Pneumonia is an infection. Infection can cause lymph nodes to enlarge. These nodes are "filters." Hopefully this was explained to her and family. Expect a repeat CT in 3 months after infection gone.

Wait until you get a diagnosis. If they can diagnose easily. I would probably opt not to have surgery just to get a diagnosis. Anesthesia is particularly difficult for people with dementia.
And also decide if the diagnosis is cancer would you opt for surgery, chemo, radiation? If the answer to that is no then what is the point of getting a positive diagnosis?
My choice would be to have a better quality of life rather than quantity of life. I would opt for Hospice and enjoy the time that I have with my family and friends.
And depending on how far advance the Alzheimer's is you might want to ask Mom what her wishes are and what she would want to do. If she has an opinion on this please take that into account.

A CT scan found nodes in my Mom's lungs when she was in her early 80's. Mom lived to be 93. Her friend that is 90 has nodes as well. The nodes were not cancer. Most of the time these are not necessarily cancer. Many older people have nodes. In my Mom's case, as well as her friend's, they just kept an eye on them. Hopefully this is the case with your mom.

I googled this site: https://www.verywellhealth.com/lung-nodules-symptoms-causes-and-diagnosis-2249304

It says the nodes in the lungs are quite common, and 60% are not caused by cancer. Look up the site, and wait for more information from the doctors.

yours, Margaret

Sorry. She had a CT scan of her lungs after a bought of pneumonia. That when they found nodes in both lungs.

Well you don’t have very much information. How did you go from an abnormal CT scan to cancer?
Why was the CT scan done? What portion of her body was scanned?