# Apparently my dad has cancer in his brain. \[Sad update\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 7, 2013, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-my-dad-has-cancer-in-his-brain-sad-update/675729 "2013-12-07T04:13:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-my-dad-has-cancer-in-his-brain-sad-update/675729/1 "2013-12-07T04:13:08Z")
And will be scheduled for surgery in a few days, at least I’m pretty sure that and there is no sign of cancer anywhere else are what the email said between the autocorrect errors. Dad just turned 88 a few months ago. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-my-dad-has-cancer-in-his-brain-sad-update/675729/2 "2013-12-07T05:41:37Z")
I’m sorry you’re having to deal with this. Do you know the prognosis yet? To me, not knowing is worse than having even bad news, because I can almost always think of the worst (im)possible scenarios. StG ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-my-dad-has-cancer-in-his-brain-sad-update/675729/3 "2013-12-07T09:22:15Z")
That’s what took my mother, but it was too advanced to treat. It wasn’t too bad a way to go, sort of like a years-long course of Alzheimer’s condensed to a little under 3 months. It didn’t distress her at all. Also, she just quit smoking one day, and forgot she had ever had a 3-pack a day habit her entire life. I wish the best for your Dad. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-my-dad-has-cancer-in-his-brain-sad-update/675729/4 "2013-12-07T15:00:11Z")
That sucks. One of my husband’s coworkers just lost her husband to brain cancer a couple months ago. He had almost a year and a half before it took him, spent his last weekend at a football game having a wonderful time, and went easy at the end. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-my-dad-has-cancer-in-his-brain-sad-update/675729/5 "2013-12-07T15:15:41Z")
Bummer. Feel free to voice off. We’ll be supportive. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-my-dad-has-cancer-in-his-brain-sad-update/675729/6 "2013-12-07T15:19:28Z")
So sorry. I hope the surgery goes well and that he has a decent prognosis. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-my-dad-has-cancer-in-his-brain-sad-update/675729/7 "2013-12-07T15:46:15Z")
I hope the surgery goes well. That’s a rough thing to deal with, both for him and for the family. Sending you supportive thoughts. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-my-dad-has-cancer-in-his-brain-sad-update/675729/8 "2013-12-07T16:43:23Z")
Thanks, guys. > [@StGermain](#): > > Do you know the prognosis yet? The autoincorrect-laden email tells me that the cancer did not metastasize from anywhere else. It’s a single mass consistent with a brain cancer and the doctors are hopeful that they can get it all in one go. They’ll know more once they retrieve some of it. ---
**Author:** ![CatherineZeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@CatherineZeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatherineZeta)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-my-dad-has-cancer-in-his-brain-sad-update/675729/9 "2013-12-07T18:06:40Z")
Sending good thoughts. My dad had a brain tumor removed nearly 10 years ago, and while his functioning hasn’t completely returned to normal, he’s mostly fine and the chances of it returning are near zero. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-my-dad-has-cancer-in-his-brain-sad-update/675729/10 "2013-12-07T20:03:56Z")
Luck to him. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-my-dad-has-cancer-in-his-brain-sad-update/675729/11 "2013-12-07T20:59:56Z")
Just heard from another sister, the one who took early retirement a couple years ago. She’s volunteered to help take care of Dad if needed. Dad thought he had a mini-stroke over Thanksgiving weekend while most of the family was visiting. This prompted a CAT scan, which confirmed the mini-stroke but it had not been recent. It’s a one-inch mass in his brain. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-my-dad-has-cancer-in-his-brain-sad-update/675729/12 "2013-12-07T21:54:25Z")
Oh, man, I’m sorry to hear this. Praying for the best possible outcome. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-my-dad-has-cancer-in-his-brain-sad-update/675729/13 "2013-12-08T08:35:47Z")
Do you know what type of tumor it is? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-my-dad-has-cancer-in-his-brain-sad-update/675729/14 "2013-12-09T16:21:24Z")
Won’t know any more until tests are run after surgery. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-my-dad-has-cancer-in-his-brain-sad-update/675729/15 "2013-12-13T00:24:48Z")
Another sister posted on Facebook that Dad is recovering from surgery. Sounds like they got it all and now we’re waiting for the test results. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-my-dad-has-cancer-in-his-brain-sad-update/675729/16 "2013-12-13T02:55:31Z")
Excellent news! Hope he recovers quickly, and they got a clean margin. ---
**Author:** ![48Willys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/db5fbb/32.png) [@48Willys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/48Willys)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-my-dad-has-cancer-in-his-brain-sad-update/675729/17 "2013-12-14T12:13:01Z")
Good! I hope all goes well. My uncle Had a similar sized tumor removed from beside his brain. They got it all and he has recovered completely. A co-worker had a similar tumor removed and he also has recovered completely. I hope this is of some help to you, 48. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-my-dad-has-cancer-in-his-brain-sad-update/675729/18 "2013-12-15T03:05:31Z")
I hope he has a complete and speedy recovery. My father-in-law, who was 83 last summer, had to have brain surgery for what the doctors suspected was metastasized lung cancer. It turned out to be an abscess caused by a strep infection. They removed that, then had to go back in the next day because a blood vessel burst. It took a couple of months for him to recover enough to get up and around, but he’s been back to good health for the past year. Age is a complicating factor, but a person can have a full recovery, even in his 80s. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-my-dad-has-cancer-in-his-brain-sad-update/675729/19 "2013-12-24T15:38:13Z")
Dad is expected to be released from the hospital today. No news on test results yet. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-my-dad-has-cancer-in-his-brain-sad-update/675729/20 "2013-12-25T06:40:12Z")
Good news for Christmas. Wishing him a full and speedy recovery. Merry Christmas. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-my-dad-has-cancer-in-his-brain-sad-update/675729.md?page=2)