The Colon Club

My wife (age 50) was diagnosed with colon cancer 11/12. Her surgery on 12/12 went well, no bag. However, 4 of 26 lymph nodes showed involvement. Pet scan and CT's showed nothing anywhere else. She is being treated at the Cleveland Clinic. Tomorrow she get's her port and begins FOLFOX. From reading posts, it just seems that it's a progressive disease with a bad ending, especially when nodes are involved. Has anyone had some long-term success at this stage? I rarely if ever see a 3c dx posting that is more than a couple years old. Wondering if chemo is even worth the misery.

Scotty65 wrote:From reading posts, it just seems that it's a progressive disease with a bad ending, especially when nodes are involved. Has anyone had some long-term success at this stage? I rarely if ever see a 3c dx posting that is more than a couple years old. Wondering if chemo is even worth the misery.

It's not specific to IIIC, but here is a (as of this posting) 29 page thread of patients diagnosed with Stage III who are now NED:

http://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=10574&hilit=stage+3+stage+3+survivor

If you want to be more specific and search the forum for "IIIC NED" you will find quite a few positive outcomes. I did.

I am sure a lot of people get NED (or if they are a caregiver, have their loved ones go NED) and leave the forum, which may be part of why there are not that many people posting "I had Stage IIIC and have been NED for 37 years."

Wow, there are many of us on here that are doing quite well after an original diagnosis of stage 3c including me. I was diagnosed six years ago, had radiation, surgery, and Folfox with Avastin. I did end up with a recurrence in my lungs three years ago, had some more chemo and a couple more surgeries and have been doing very well ever since.

Please know that there is hope. ... My dx was very similar and my prognosis wasn't good at all. I am cancer free right now. I had 3 major surgeries. My chemo was folfox . Stage 4 is scary and there can be lasting side effects from the chemo. The fight was worth it. Maybe it'll come back and maybe it won't. My quality of life is good really good . If I can do it others can too.

Lots of hope for stage IIIc. What you don't see is the people that move on with their lives after a year or two who are doing well. Some of them come back to post on their "cancerversaries" but not much more than that. Sure, there are recurrences for some with a IIIc diagnosis - some are true recurrence and some were just misdiagnosed at the start. But more stay clear after a stage IIIc diagnosis than do not stay clear. Stage IV is where less are cured, and more eventually die from the disease. The only stage where the odds are not in the favor of the patient is IV. I, II & III all have odds that favor the patient.

It is MORE than realistic to have hope to finish chemo and be done with it all other than labs and scans to keep an eye out in case of a recurrence.

The reason you don't see more posts is that a lot of 3c's DO survive and don't hang out here any longer. Yes, we have lost a few. But I know of many who simply don't come here anymore because they have finished treatment and resumed living their lives. Lets hope that's the path your wife takes.

And I was a 3c. 27 of 38 nodes. I went almost 3 years post diagnosis NED and then a few small spots showed up in my lungs and a lymph node between my lungs. I've been on chemo for the past two years - but chemo that I can tolerate. My oncologist and I work together to find a combination that holds the cancer back yet gives me quality of life. I am now almost 6 1/2 years out from diagnosis. I'm not NED, but I'm living a good quality of life and I don't plan on checking out any time soon.

So yes - for me, the chemo was and is worthwhile. I'm a realist but I also have hope.

My dh has stage 3c rc. Before coming here, I felt hopeless. I book marked stage 3 NED & I look at almost daily (if pg 25 was a paper book it would be dogged eared)We are just a month ahead of you. As people get further away from diagnosis they don't come here as often. But,there are several people in that thread that still log on. There are so many open kind hearted people here that are willing to share. I have asked some pretty dumb questions & almost always somebody will answer me. I try to read the good stories -stay away from google- those stats will scare you & are not current.

I feel as care giver I have a special task at hand. Even when I am not feeling very positive about things i dont let on. Our loved ones need to know we believe right along with them. I cry alone or on a girl friends shoulder. My husband is my best friend -I am not willing to let him go without a fight!


Dh stage 3 c rc

Sotty65 - I hope you just wrote poorly. You will not even have a clue about the chemo - your wife will live it. It is not complete misery. I worked every day except for the infusion days. I competed and was competitive at the Grand American trap shoot as well as Delaware, New Jersey, and Pa state shoots. The cancer is bad news but is not the end. I might have a recurrence and might not. Same with your wife. You need to adjust your attitude, appreciate her and appreciate and enjoy living. Do not misunderstand - I do not like what you wrote and thank God I am married to someone who is not like you.

I am 15 months Ned from a stage 3 c diagnosis. I went through surgery and six months of chemo. I to was 50 when I was diagnosed. I feel great now it is almost like a bad dream. Last year was a tough year but chemo was tolerable I worked full time and enjoyed my life and family and really was surprised at how good i felt in spite of everything. I feel very blessed!
There are many many stories like mine, your wife needs you to be positive and strong!
Please stay strong for her.

Thanks to all for showing me there is hope. As my wife's main caregiver, I know I need to show her a positive attitude.....I've just always been the male version of Debbie Downer! Looks like an attitude adjustment is in order....

I was diagnosed with stage 3c rectal cancer at the age of 30 in August 2010. It's been 20 months since my last (12th) round of chemo and 18 months since my reversal. I'm still NED and doing just fine. In fact, other than having to pay a little more attention to my bowels and what I eat, life is pretty much back to normal.

The treatments were hard, for sure, and stage 3c is a serious disease. But it's certainly not a death sentence and there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Scotty65 wrote:Thanks to all for showing me there is hope. As my wife's main caregiver, I know I need to show her a positive attitude.....I've just always been the male version of Debbie Downer! Looks like an attitude adjustment is in order....

I find that it can be really tempting to fall into negativity sometimes, figuring if one doesn't get his hopes too high, they won't be smashed quite as hard if the worst happens. But that mindset is a trap; I've concluded that it doesn't actually help. Instead an overly pessimistic approach just spoils the present, saps one's will to fight (and that will is necessary to get oneself or a loved one through difficult and painful treatments)--and demoralizes other people, including the patient. So...best not to go that route, I think. Just my $0.02.

IIIC is potentially curable. Have hope.

Scotty, the good news is that you've found two good places....here on the message board and the Cleveland Clinic. My Stage IIIB wife is just over three years out from surgery, and she's doing great! Since day one, she's been treated at the Clinic, so if you have any questions about what to expect now, feel free to ask the rest of the board about whatever you'd like, and if you have CC questions or concerns, let me know and we'll help you work through those too -- I'm sure my wife would be willing to share her CC experiences if that's something that would be beneficial for you or your wife.

Welcome to the place you don't want to join....hope we can help.


Chris

Scotty - I'm a IIIc RC survivor for 2.5 years and counting! Diagnosis in 7/10, surgery in 11/10 followed by 4 rounds of FOLFOX, 28 radiation treatments concurrent with 5FU topped off with another serving of 4 rounds of FOLFOX. The worst part for me was the radiation treatements and I had some severe burns that kept me immobile for about a week and I lost about 10 lbs in 2 weeks. That was the worst of it for me so other than that, I was able to work and attend all of my 13 yo son's sporting events.

Good communication with her onc and nurses can help minimize the side effects from the chemo. I discovered early on that there are good meds out there to decrease the nausea to make the chemo much more tolerable.

Your wife can do it! The statistics for stage IIIc with adjuvant therapy are in our favor so the chemo is definitely worth it.

Cindy

Hi,

Marcel here, from the Netherlands, 34 yo.
I was dx in april 2011, with stage 4a with a 4 inch liver-met ( you might wanna read my introducing post )
Long story short, i am NED since 12 months now!! Working fulltime, got married, living life at the fullest.
So, really; chemo is a pain, but it's worth it!!!

Good luck and a long life!