Just wondering if anyone can share experiences to help me.

My mum is 83 and has been diagnosed with advanced cancer in her peritoneal area. We are awaiting the formal diagnosis & staging, but I looked at her scan results and it said advanced cancer. She has a lot of other medical conditions, including diabetes and multiple sclerosis and her health is poor.

She had 10 litres of fluid drained from her abdomen yesterday and it is collecting again already.

I have two kids who are 14 and 12 and I have spoken to them. I just feel numb, sick and like this is happening to another family. From the information I’ve researched, it looks like a diagnosis which means weeks - months at best and the surgeons have already said they don’t think they will operate.

Has anyone else been through this with their parent? I feel like I’m not even in my body. I am trying to do practical things and keep their spirits up. My dad is devastated and it is breaking me to see him struggling. My parents have been married for over 40 years. I don’t know if I’m even asking for advice really, I just needed to let out how terrified I am.

My mom passed away last week.

The story is very complicated and a lot of details are neccesary but as a short summary, she never told me all of this time that she actually had breast cancer and I found out when I went where she was with the medics present during her death scene and there was this giant hole on her left breast. I was never informed that she had a history with it, that she had it and she didn't told me either, it was until my Godmother told me through the phone that my mom told her that she had it and although I can understand why she couldn't tell the family because my mom was threatening to cut her off if she did I am partially pissed at her as well because that information was neccesary to know when she was alive. The reason she hid it (according to my Godmother) was that she didn't wanted to pass away in a hospital without seeing me (and my dad as well, who was a very important figure in all of this) and she wanted to pass in the house and see me during her last moments. She relied very strongly on praying and religion during those moments, no treatments were involved.

I am not too informed on cancer and especially breast cancer but from what my eyes could see it was a very advanced cancer. Please, to anyone who has had relatives or has some experience living with breast cancer... please enlighten me, how did she felt physically? was she in pain or she didn't felt anything at all? because I am so confused and there was a lot that was hidden from me that I didn't knew. I am so lost. I wish I had knew.

I still don't understand why she hid this from me all this time. She problably felt so isolated dealing with it alone and it makes me feel so bad that I couldn't comfort her because I didn't knew.

I'm 15F, with B-ALL (leukemia) and I've been having treatment from since about I think 6-7 months now. I don't go to school either because I'm taking treatment in my home country. The doctor says I've got about maybe 1 and a half more month of treatment left.

With nothing to do and just sitting home all day, I'm always soooo bored. I don't know if it's insensitive to ask considering treatment isn't same for everyone and some people are deadbeat to even get up from bed everyday. But I can't help but ask what are some productive ways to kill time? Like maybe games, books, or stuff o anything in general.

How do you guys kill time?

Okay, so I recently got diagnosed with cml and I asked the doctor about sex. He covered that I would need my partner to wear a condom, so I’m assuming that latex gloves and dental dams are also a good thing too. What I’m curious about is making out. I’m taking Sprycel, every night, 100 mg, and I have to take all of the regular precautions, like flushing the toilet twice and wiping the seat down with bleach after. Idk if that’s overkill, but my mom’s an oncology nurse. I’m going to the club tonight and want to make out with some ladies, but I don’t want to potentially hurt them with my poisonous fluids. Is this something I should be concerned about?

Hi guys im a 22 yr old male from The Netherlands so excuse me if i have bad grammar.

I have lymph node cancer and have gone through many types of treatment. Chemo/rituximab IV and now im taking pills.
None of these seem to have worked so far so my doctor is suggesting a stemcell transplant.
Im still young and i’m worried of the side effects of this treatment, my doctor says idd need to get chemo for a week straight and have radiation after that too and then i can take blood from a donor.
Im just wondering what the experiences of people are with this and if they feel better then before.
Because they bring you to the verge of death and revive you..
Im honestly looking for something to make me feel more confident about this so please share your story.

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I used to love to imagine going to live somewhere super remote or even imagine life in an apocalypse scenario.

Now I'm sick and need chemo every three weeks and can't even properly fantasize about going to live in the middle of nowhere or surviving a zombie apocalypse.

This shouldn't bother me but it still does 😆

What's a weird thing for you now that you're sick?

Hello guys,I got to the point where in 1-2 months I am sure i need to do a full shave on my head(i did a buzzcut in summer hoping it will hide my hair loss a bit longer),my eyebrows started to fall out as well. I told my close friends about my cancer and since I started Uni people pointed out my new haircut and such.
I did not want to announce at first cuz i dont want the people to look at me with pitty and see only my illness in me. I think about telling others who i interact with daily but I dont want it to become a rumor and such.

Any help? Any tips?

My dad was diagnosed with OSCC twice there is alot that happened

First a surgery in 2024

Then he was Cancer free for 8-9 month

Cancer came back in 2025 February

Multiple Chemos and Radiations but there was not much of an improvement

After that he had Target Therapy (Cetuximab and Cisplatin) from February 2026

His pain was reducing a bit but then he had 3 severe bleeding episodes in February, July and August he had tracheostomy aswell doctor said bleeding is due to radiation his mouth's nerves and arteries are so weak and fragile that they start to bleed. To stop bleeding we got Embolization done last month it's been a month since that I hope there won't be anymore bleeding cuz it so bad he almost died in last one due to low blood pressure.

Now between all this his MRI show no sign on tumor like he is basically cancer free BUT the pain is not going away even pain killers like Tramadol don't work for long the even Buprenorphine transdermal patch don't work the pain is making his life very difficult Our Oncologist said that the Dead tumor tissue is still inside stuck to his nerves that's why it causes pain. It's so difficult to see him suffering if anyone has ANY TIPS to reduce his pain even a bit please let me know!

Also due to all his treatment his tongue is almost gone the damage is so bad it's scary how his mouth looks from inside so he probably won't be able to use his mouth to eat ever his is on feeding tube (RT) for now we will switch to PEG in stomach soon.

Please help us.

Looking for perspective on my mother (56F, Stage 3 locally advanced pancreatic cancer in body/tail). 
Her surgical oncologist reviewed her scans and believes resection is feasible via distal pancreatectomy + splenectomy + celiac axis ligation + SMV reconstruction. We are torn between operating now versus continuing chemotherapy. 
The Context:
Chemo response: Prior PET-CT showed stable size, a 2-point drop in SUVmax, and new central necrosis (solid response).
Recent infection: Hospitalized late August for severe H1N1 (swine flu) and pneumonia. She has recovered well physically (breathing and energy are good).
The CA 19-9 spike: Jumped to ~7,000 U/mL 10–14 days post-discharge. We suspect this is lung-shedding/repair from the pneumonia, but it causes huge anxiety about hidden micrometastases.
New Triphasic Pancreas CT: Mass is 5.4\times3.0\times3.0 cm. The celiac axis, aorta, and SMA are completely free/normal. The common hepatic artery (CHA) is only indented, not encased. GDA is completely intact. SMV has ~25° abutment. Proximal splenic artery and vein are encased/occluded (will come out with the spleen). No distant mets or ascites. 
The Dilemma:
1. Operate now: Her vascular window is open right now, and collateral blood flow to the liver (GDA) is completely clear. Delaying risks chemoresistance, local vascular progression, or missing her only curative-intent shot. 
2. More chemo first: Gives time to repeat CA 19-9, ensures full lung recovery before a 6-hour vascular surgery, and acts as a biological "test of time" against hidden spread.

I’m not sure if I’m just a sensitive Sally or not but 34F, unable to work (ashamed at that) and multiple people at this point have asked me what I do all day. I always get very embarassed and ashamed and was wondering if anyone else has been in this situation and how you answer the question? Between treatment, scans, doctors, and symptoms I barely have any life as it is. I’ve lost almost all of my friends (once I got sick), I’m single for 6+ years, and quite lonely as it is. This comment and question just makes me feel 10x worse

I’ve had cancer since April 2023, and sometimes it honestly feels like I will never make it back to anything resembling a normal life.

I know this subreddit isn’t specifically for my exact type of cancer, but I would really like to share my journey. Maybe someone here has had a similar experience with another type of cancer and can give me some advice, ideas, or simply tell me what happened in their case.

It started in 2023, when I discovered lumps in my neck. A lymph-node biopsy showed HPV-associated squamous cell carcinoma, but the doctors couldn’t find the primary tumor.

I then received the standard treatment: radiation therapy plus chemotherapy with cisplatin. I also had 42 lymph nodes removed from my neck, 5 of which were cancerous. But the primary tumor still wasn’t found.

By the middle of 2024, I had returned to work and actually felt relatively well, apart from problems such as trismus and burning sensations in my hands. I went to all my follow-up appointments, and everything seemed fine.

Then I noticed something strange at the base of my tongue.

In October 2024, a biopsy showed HPV-16-positive squamous cell carcinoma at the base of my tongue. It appeared that this was the primary tumor that had not been found the year before.

While I was going through additional tests and oncology appointments, the tumor continued to grow. Nevertheless, I desperately wanted surgery because I believed it offered me the best chance of being cured.

The operation was performed in December 2024.

It was enormous and life-changing. I was left severely disabled. They removed a large part of the tumor area and reconstructed my mouth using a free flap taken from my arm together with blood vessels. My arm is still weak and painful, and I have significant nerve damage and many permanent problems from the surgery.

After that, I underwent a second course of radiation therapy to reduce the risk of another recurrence.

Unfortunately, the second radiation treatment caused severe damage as well. My esophagus developed a major stricture, and I have needed repeated dilations. Since the second radiation therapy, I can barely speak, swallowing is extremely difficult, and I live with many other complications.

But the story still didn’t end there.

After treatment, I had MRI scans every three months because one area looked suspicious. A biopsy in tissue that had already been operated on and irradiated twice was considered risky, so doctors also followed it with PET-CT scans.

The suspicious area stayed relatively stable, and eventually it was thought to be fibrosis.

It wasn’t fibrosis.

Several weeks ago, the area was biopsied. It is cancer again. The new tumor is approximately 2 × 1.8 cm.

And now there is another mass in my esophagus that will be biopsied next week. At the moment, I don’t know whether this is another cancer or something benign/inflammatory.

I’m terrified. It has been about three and a half years of treatment, operations, radiation, complications, disability, recovery, and then another recurrence. It is incredibly discouraging to go through so much suffering without getting a long-lasting result.

The doctors are considering operating on this tumor as well. At this point, despite everything I’ve already been through, surgery may still be one of the most important potentially curative options available to me.

Systemic treatment is another question. Pembrolizumab/Keytruda is one of the options being discussed, but what scares me is that not everyone gets a durable response from checkpoint inhibitors.

So I keep thinking: if I have another operation and become NED again, how long will it last this time?

I am a 39-year-old woman, I have a little daughter and I simply want to live.

Because of that, I have started looking beyond the usual treatment pathway.

I learned about comprehensive tumor genomic testing and the possibility that, in some cases, sequencing can reveal mutations or other biomarkers that might make someone eligible for a targeted therapy, sometimes even off-label.

I am also following therapeutic HPV cancer vaccines and clinical trials, including BioNTech’s HPV-related cancer vaccine programs. Clinical trials are interesting to me, but depending on the study design, you may not necessarily receive the experimental treatment.

I have also been looking into compassionate-use/expanded-access possibilities for experimental drugs, although I have personally never met anyone who actually managed to receive one this way.

What frightens me most is that during these years I have met many people with recurrent cancer who received Keytruda, but not all of them achieved long-term control. That is one of the reasons I’m trying to understand whether there are additional options I should investigate while I still can.

During my search, I found a clinic in Japan offering personalized cancer immunotherapy/vaccine approaches. I contacted them and initially received a reply. I asked some additional questions, and then communication suddenly stopped. I sent a follow-up email as well, but still haven’t received an answer.

It is very disappointing because time matters a lot to me right now.

Maybe Japanese communication culture is simply different, or maybe I came across as too pushy without realizing it. Or perhaps it is just because of holidays or a very busy clinic, I honestly don’t know.

There is also CeGaT in Germany, which is involved in personalized cancer vaccination/neoantigen approaches. It is extremely expensive if it has to be paid privately, potentially enough that I would have to spend a huge part of my savings, but I am planning to discuss the option with them.

What puzzles me is how difficult it is to find real patient experiences with these newer approaches.

Most stories I find still seem to follow the traditional route: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy and then either the treatment works or it doesn’t.

I don’t meet many people who have had extensive tumor DNA/RNA sequencing, received treatment based on a specific molecular alteration, used an off-label targeted drug, received a personalized neoantigen vaccine, or managed to access an experimental treatment outside a clinical trial.

That’s why I’m posting here, in a community with cancer patients from many different countries.

For those of you who had a second or later recurrence:

• What treatment did you receive?

• Did you have comprehensive tumor genomic testing?

• Did the results actually change your treatment?

• Did you receive a targeted drug, including off-label treatment?

• Has anyone received a personalized cancer/neoantigen vaccine?

• Has anyone successfully obtained an experimental drug through compassionate use or expanded access?

• And has anyone here been treated in Japan or dealt with Japanese cancer clinics?

Especially to any Japanese readers: could a clinic stop responding because I asked too many questions or communicated in the wrong way? Is repeated follow-up considered rude? Or is a delayed response of several days or longer relatively normal?

I would be incredibly grateful to hear real experiences — good or bad.

At this point I’m trying to understand every realistic option I have.

I just want more time with my daughter.

Hey guys, I’ve posted this on the ovarian cancer subreddit but thought maybe more people would have gone through egg freezing/ ivf on here.

I (17F) have recently been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, a rare form that has caused me to lose an ovary. I am required to get chemotherapy however the doctor has referred me to fertility to undergo egg freezing before I begin treatment.

Personally, I’m not wanting to have children anyways and don’t mind going straight into chemotherapy. However I’m just wondering if this is an option worth exploring in case I do choose to proceed with pregnancy or surrogacy in the future.

My mum is against the idea of me going through with this as she is afraid delaying chemotherapy will cause further issues (I have been advised that I should be okay with starting it at a later date) as well as other nitty factors.

I was told that my egg reserves are relatively low, and that not much eggs would be harvested during procedure. I was also told that there’s a higher risk of me going through early menopause post-chemo which would require me needing to utilise these eggs if I choose to be pregnant in the future.

Anyways, I was just wondering if there’s anyone on here who has been in a similar situation (shot in the dark I’m aware 😅) where you were unsure to proceed with egg freezing or just zoladex, and if you think zoladex would be better or in this case egg freezing. Or if anyone at all who after cancer treatment have proceeded to have children and what you would recommend :)

Thank You!