What does “chemo for life” really mean? Hearing “chemo for life” can be a pretty scary thing. But keep in mind a few things: It doesn’t mean that you will be on the same chemotherapy drugs forever. Those can change over the course of treatment or you can go to “maintenance” chemo. There are a limited number of chemo lines available though, so you will want to work with your team to balance using each treatment line as long as possible, and align them with your goals of care. Most people can take chemo breaks. Think of chemo for life as “chemo until something changes.” New treatments and options are evolving every day (as is your disease).
What’s a multidisciplinary tumor board?
What’s a multidisciplinary tumor board? In some cancer centers, a number of doctors who are experts in different specialties review and discuss a patient’s disease and treatment options. You might see this abbreviated as MDTB or MTB. There are online MDTBs that meet on a regular schedule that most cancer centers are part of. See our glossaries of terms for more words or acronyms that might be unfamiliar!
My surgeon doesn’t recommend removing the primary tumor first. Why?
My surgeon doesn’t recommend removing the primary tumor first. Why? If you are new to a stage IV cancer diagnosis, it can seem confusing if your care team doesn’t seem to have a sense of urgency to remove your primary tumor. However, studies show that removing the primary tumor is not associated with an improvement in quantity or quality of life. The focus is almost always on treating the metastases first. If you were to focus on removing the primary tumor, surgery recovery usually requires being off chemotherapy — which would leave the metastases untreated and at risk of growth or spread.
