Primary Lymphoma

Recently my aunt began having severe migraines and slight memory loss. We took her in to have an MRI and CT. We found that she has a tumor in the right hemisphere of the brain. The Doctor originally did not want to operate on the tumor due to the risks involved. So I began to do my own research and found about the Gamma Knife procedure at the Cleveland Clinic. We had an appointment for June 10. However on sunday June 7 we had my aunt over for dinner when she suddenly became completely disoriented. She began to have trouble walking and could not stand on her own. She also lost ability to control all fine motor movements as well. She was also unable to form proper sentences and was unable to identify members of her own family. We immediately took her to the ER at Aultman Hospital here in canton, Ohio. She was admitted into the ICU. After several CAT scans they found that the tumor had double in size (now 2 inches) from the time it was discovered which was not even a month earlier. The Doctor decided to attempt to remove the tumor so she went in to the OR June 9. After several hours in surgery the Doctor came out to tell us the bad news. He said that he was unable to remove the tumor because it was like jelly throughout her brain. He sent a sample to the pathologist and we are awaiting results. However he did say that it looked like primary lymphoma with meningeal involvement. He said the prognosis was not good, and is giving her only a few months to live. He said he condition will deteriorate very quickly and she will need 24 hour care. I have read about this type of cancer and see that chemo and radiation therapies are used and can increase the amount of time to live but most people usually have a relapse several months later. I hate to think that there is nothing that can be done to save her and I need to know if we should still keep trying to find other means of treatment and if we should make another appointment with the neuro oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic to discuss possibly treatment with Gamma knife or other methods.
Thank you for your help.
sincerely, Beau

[rumpled]

You can certainly take her records and obtain other opinions. The hospital where she is should not object to getting more opinions as long as this is within your Aunt's wishes.

Sometimes, well, to be blunt, tumors can be very aggressive, and your aunt, sadly, appears to have one of them. Imaging sometimes just cannot show what type of tumor or how it is growing at times.

While it may be very painful to contemplate, you may want to also consider palliative care options as well if this is part of her wishes so that she can make the most of the time that she has left.

I have lost two family members to brain cancer including my father, and currently have a cousin who is battling it - it is... devastating all around.