She had not received any treatment for her breast cancer which was first noticed by her doctor back in Oct 2014.
Recent cat scans (due to 2 separate falls) revealed “many nodules “ on her left lung (under the breast tumor), and also some “growths that are eating away at her skull” as said by the ER doctor recently.
My question is is there any correlation between what’s happening to my mom's brain & if she’s getting dementia?
Any kind of infection or debilitating illness in the elderly can have an effect on cognitive function, often it is temporary (delirium) but if there is pre-existing dementia it can help to push them farther along. As for the brain lesions, while it may seem logical that something awry in the brain would cause cognitive problems it is not always so, lots of people are living with benign and malignant brain tumours who don't have any cognitive effects.
Have you considered calling in hospice?
What is it that you actually want to know, though? Are you noticing something about your mother's functioning or behaviour or personality that is worrying you, and you want to know whether it's related to the cancer or something else altogether?
"Growths eating away at her skull" is among the less helpful explanations I've ever heard - what on earth was that supposed to mean, or to contribute to your and your mother's understanding of what to expect? Sometimes doctors trying to be down to earth just end up talking twaddle.
I think your best bet is to make an appointment with your mother's doctor and ask him to talk you through the latest images plus any reports from the radiologist. Then you can discuss options for palliative care, which will help to relieve your mother's symptoms even if she's still not interested in actively treating the disease. I'm very sorry you're having to go through this.
Has she chosen no treatment? I would want a visit with her doctor to look at what to expect as the cancer progresses and also what is available to her in terms of comfort care if she does not want treatment.
What was she like before this latest episode? Why did she choose no treatment for her breast cancer in 2014?
Poor dear. What is next for her? I would consider hospice too.
At this point, though, I think the focus will be on keeping her comfortable, and just recognizing that her outlook, thoughts, and behavior will become more challenging for her as the cancer metastasizes.
Does it really matter if dementia is mentioned? It won't change the circumstances and is just another 'label' to put on your mom.
With such major health problems, it is no wonder about her losing her cognitive abilities. She must be a strong woman to be bearing this at all.
Praying for you.