Question about my Stage 4 cancer case......Please share info

[komee]

Hi

I was going thru google when I came up with this forum.My cousin (26 , male) has been diag with stage 4 rectal/colon cancer. First we didnt belive since he is so young and healthy .. Anyway, I just wanted to ask people who have stage 4.... is it curable? can He live thru this? He is very very strong about this whole thing but I just want to get some realistic views, since his diag, we met many people with stage 4 and they are living very normal life, so to speak. I saw some stats and they says he will he will live only 6 months( 4% survival rate)... is that right? Please give us some peace of mind...

[jennb]

Tell your cousin to keep a very positive attitude. I was dx 13Feb with Stage IV CRC with mets to liver. My oncologist said, " You are Stage IV, do not pay any attention to the statistics that you see online. They are years behind the advances we have had in treating this. I have treated many cases similar to yours with great success!"

I had a PET/CT scan 19FEB prior to any chemo, showing a tumor in the sigmoid colon and the rectum, affected lymph nodes and many mets to liver. After 3 cycles of chemo my CEA went from 187 to 46. After the 4th chemo cycle, the tumor in the sigmoid colon tore away and caused a blockage in the intestines. This resulted in a trip to the emergency room and emergency surgery. I ended up with a resection of the colon to the rectum and a temporary ostomy at the site of the blockage. I had my 2nd PET/CT scan 30APR which showed no evidence of cancer in the abdomen or pelvic area and diminished cancer in the liver.

The advances in treating Colon cancer are incredible. If your cousin's doctor doesn't sound so positive, see another!!!

Best wishes!

[missjv]

HI,
I AGREE WITH LAST POST KEEP A GOOD ATTITUDE AND STAY AWAY FROM ANY STATISTIC YOU SEE ON THE INTERNET AS THEY DO NOT REFLECT THE MOST RECENT TREATMENT OPTIONS THAT ARE NOW AVAILABLE. SOME OF THE NEW CHEMO DRUGS OUT NOW ARE VERY POTENT AND I HAVE MET PEOPLE WHO HAVE GONE INTO REMISSION FROM JUST CHEMO WITH NO SURGERY INVOLVED BEYOND REMOVING THE PRIMARY COLON TUMOR PEOPLE HAVE HAD METS DISAPPEAR WITH JUST THE CHEMO DRUGS WHO KNOWS HOW LONG IT WILL LAST NO ONE KNOWS THAT BUT ANY REMISSION IS A GOOD THING. YOU DID NOT MENTION WHERE THE STAGE 4 IS. DOES HE HAVE LIVER METS? LUNG METS? ABDOMINAL METS? LYMPHNODE INVOLVEMENT? MY ADVICE FROM BEING STAGE 4 AND I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF THROUGH MY OWN EXPERIENCE AS WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT AND RESPOND DIFFERENTLY TO TREATMENTS IS FIND A CANCER CENTER WHO SPECIALIZES IN COLON CANCER, SLOAN KETTERING, MD ANDERSON, MAYO CLINIC, FOX CHASE, UPMC. YOU CAN GOOGLE THESE NAMES AND READ ABOUT THEM. I WENT TO A SMALL TOWN ONCO WHO TOLD ME BECAUSE I HAD 3 STUPID LITTLE SPOTS ON MY LIVER THE LARGEST BEING THE SIZE OF A DIME THAT I WAS STATISTICLY LOOKING AT 2 YEARS TO LIVE, I SAID BULL CRAP. WENT TO A LARGE CANCER CENTER WHO SPECIALIZES IN METASTATIC COLON CANCER HAD SURGERY TO REMOVE THE LIVER METS AND SO FAR I HAVE NO EVIDENCE OF CANCER SHOWING UP ON SCANS AND BLOODWORK I FEEL GREAT AND LIVING MY LIFE. HOW LONG WILL THIS LAST?? WHO KNOWS IT COULD LAST MONTHS OR I COULD BE LUCKY AND NOT HAVE THE STUFF GROW BACK EVER AGAIN NO ONE KNOWS THOSE ANSWERS, AND NO DOCTOR CAN TELL YOU LIKE MY 1ST ONE DID THAT I WILL BE DEAD IN 2 YEARS IT HAS BEEN 1 YEAR ALREADY SINCE DIAGNOSIS AND IM IN BETTER SHAPE NOW THEN I WAS LAST YEAR. SINCE HE IS SO YOUNG PLEASE SEEK OUT THE MOST AGGRESSIVE TREATMENT YOU CAN FIND IT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. GOOD LUCK!

MISSJV

[LONGHORN]

I BEEN LIVING WITH TI FOR ALMOST HREE YEARS NOW AND HAVE HAD SEVERAL SURGERIES METS TO MY NODES AND LIVER AORTA AND VENCAVA. I HAVE AN ILEOSTOMY AND LIVE A PRETTY NORMAL LIFE. I AM 42 YROS I HAVE HAD LOTS OF CHEMO AND STILL MORE TO GO BUT I WILL NOT GIVE UP DON'T YOU LET HIM THAT IS THE BIGGEST KEY!!!!!!

[notgivingup]

Komee,

Very scary to your 26 year old cousin for sure. He is going to go through the anquish of acceptance that he has to deal with this to live. I am now on my 2nd year anniversary and have to agree that I, too, am healthier now than when I was diagnosed.

There will be many times he is going to feel depressed and angry. That is part of it. Just be there.

Statistics are complicated. Depending on the measurement, survival time can be the time before progression or it can be to death. First and foremost, any clinical that gives statistics for 5 year survival now is based on treatment 5 years ago. Many treatment options are more refined now than they were that short time ago. Also, you have to remember that the statistic includes folks from those that died in surgery to those that are still alive. Given that most cancers are detected late in the game and that most of the folks are older and not in good health, you can easily see why the survival times may not be accurate for a 26 year old otherwise healthy guy. It took me about 1.5 years to figure this out.

Get him on the board to let him know there are others out there. It is a weird sort of comraderie.

Best Wishes.

[Liz]

Hi
I am a stage 4 with colon cancer that spread to my liver and lymph nodes near my kidney and in my chest. I just celebrated my 1 year anniversary from surgery to remove my small intestine. The cancer in my liver is in remission, but the lymph nodes are still active. Everything that everyone on this topic has said is true - do not listen to the statistics, stay positive and find the right doctor/hospital The most important thing you cousin will require is to know that he has your love and support. Also being positive and having faith are fundamental ways to fight this type of cancer. The chemo I'm on is very strong and right now I am considered incurable but I can live on for a long time with chemo. It's all about living your life with a different view. Stay strong for your cousin and let him know that he has your love. It is a very powerful motivator! My thoughts and prayers are with your cousin, you and your family.

[betsydoglover]

Hi - I am Stage IV - liver mets) - diagnosed late May 2005. I have been NED (no evidence of disease) since the end of August 2005. I completed 6 treatments of Xeloda/oxaliplatin/Avastin - ending in early Dec, 2005. I had colon surgery, but never had liver surgery. My latest CT and PET scans were on 4/11 of this year and all is still NED.

So, stop thinking about death sentences and how much time he has left and realize that the advances in treating this type of cancer are truly huge. There is much hope!

WIll be thinking of you,
Betsy

[missjv]

hi,
i agree with betsy don't focus on the negative and stay away from staistics they are not accurate and most are over 5 years old there have been many advances in treatment in the past 5 years. your cousin is young and as you say in good health otherwise, he can fight this stuff. stay positive for him and seek out the most aggressive docs and treatments you can find. and you are right people do live with this cancer for years as a chronic condition and have pretty normal lives and they are still alive, it can be done. take care keep us posted.


missjv