Low blood pressure, changing chemo doses...normal?
My dad has stage IV lung cancer, he has been on chemo for a while...the doctor is considering taking him off the chemo because his quality of life is not so good after the chemo.
Right now my dad is suppose to be on one dose of chemo, then off for 2 weeks then one big dose again on week 4...but it's kicking his butt, so the Dr. has ordered IV fluids twice a week for dehydration issues and the one dose is going to be cut up into 3 doses..is it even going to be effective in the small doses or are we just making him miserable by having chemo every week rather than almost 3 weeks off?
Every time he goes in for the IV fluids they take his blood pressure, he starts off at about 85/50, and then after the fluids he goes up to about 110/70...what's THAT about?
I know everyone is different, but just looking for some generalizations here as to if this is a normal approach?
Update:And if it makes a difference his oxygen was at 95 all for the last 7 months of this...and now it is dipping down near 90 most visits....I don't know the significance of that either.
Comments
The important question is whether his lung cancer is visibly shrinking
with the chemotherapy. Chemotherapy usually does not work for stage IV
non-small cell lung cancer. If he has been on treatment for two or three months
with no visible response or - even worse - if his malignancy seems to be progressing -
It is definitely time to consider stopping the chemo treatments. The chemo
always costs the patient something - increased weakness, poor appetite, fatigue,
etc. It can do more harm than good if the cancer is not responding. Chemo can
definitely ruin the quality of life in the last months these patients have.
I spent a great deal of time as a cancer chemotherapy specialist trying to talk
people and their families OUT OF taking chemotherapy.
If we cannot help, we should not make things worse just for the appearance
that we are trying to do something. Stage IV non-small cell lung cancers
are never cured with chemotherapy. At best - chemo may buy a few extra months
of time. If the patient is miserable from the treatment, that extra time
is of questionable value.
To answer your fist question about blood pressure
Any person who is dehydrated will have a lower blood pressure ; and that why ;
when they give your father liquid ; his pressure goes up ; which is normal
His oxygen dipping down ; mean his lungs are not functioning properly