No cancer remaining yet going through chemo

[4mydad]

My dad had 2 feet of his colon removed where there existed cancer. They also removed 22 lymph nodes but all came back negative for cancer. They say he's cancer free but now, two week later has, at their recommendation, opted for chemo consisting of Leuvovorin IV's 2 hours a week and what he says is "5FU" for the next six months. Is this typical?

[Edward]

Let me guess your dad was diagnosed with Stage II. I was diagnosed with Stage IIa. This was the same regimen that was presented to me when I was diagnosed in 2002 at age 36. The oncologist said that there is a slight chance they didn't get all the cancer and that it could hide. They said this would be an insurance policy. Since I was 36, I didn't want reoccurance and regret at age 46. If you dad is in his 70's he may want to rethink, but if he is relatively young he may want to consider it.

Here are some the side effect I had:
POST CHEMO
Loss of hair - in a strange twist, I lost body hair and none off my head.
I have a permenant tan. It never goes away.
I have dryeye - a hard time treating.
Energy back to about 95%


During chemo:

Fatigue
Sunlight Sensitivity
Slight Naseau
Needles, Needles, Needles - Get a port!!!!

Again, everyone is different. However, this is how it affected me.

[ASTEPHENS33]

My understanding of stage II is similiar to the previous posts. The only thing I would add is that the IV form of 5FU is always given with leovorcin (spelling?) that helps to assimilate it. It was recommended to me and I also did a monotherapy of 5FU, but did it in the oral form called Xeloda - www.xeloda.com, for information. I found the logistics to be easier, because its only pills. Its been tested to be as effective at the 5FU/leovorcin and was recommended for colon cancer use in Summer, 2005, so its getting around now. Its covered by Medicare, but its considered a prescription drug.

[Babs]

Hi - I was diagnosed stage II 6/05. I also did chemo (folfox4). It was receommended, because I was also told there may be some cancer cells "floating around" and I was only 43.

[Holly32]

Hi. I had the same exact thing in November, with 22 lymph nodes all negative. I too did three months of chemo as "insurance" since I was only 31. I did Oxyliplatin and Xeloda (pill form). The worst side effect for me was being unable to touch, drink, or eat cold things. Tell your dad he's in my prayers and thank goodness they caught it early. God bless, Holly

[christy217]

HI there, same deal with me. I was diagnosed with Stage II, my entire colon was removed because my colon cancer is genetic. I have HNPCC. My polyp that was cancerous was only 3.2 cm, but it ate through all four layers of my colon wall, which made it stage II, out of 16 lymph nodes, all were negative, and they took my appendix too, which was negative for cancer as well.

I have just started chemo, I got recommendations from three oncologists, one being a top guy on the east coast, and they all said the same thing, It's hard to say what would benefit me because I am not the typical cancer patient, being 29 and all, and since it was Stage II, and didn't go to the lymph nodes, they're could be some undectable cells around or they're couldn't. Eiether way, they recommended that I do 6 months of chemo-Oxaliplatin, Leucovorin, and 5FU. I get 4 hours on a Monday, then go home with a 46 hour pump, they want to do this for 12 cycles, that's 600 hours of chemo which is a lot in my book, however, I am debating continuing it, because my first cycle was so hard, it made me really sick, however, I also battle with what if this comes back a year from now, and I could have done something to get through it more?

Personally, I think chemo is a personal decision, because utimately if you haven't done everything you can to prevent it and it comes back, how could you not feel quilty? Even though none of this is our fought. It sucks, it really sucks.

Good luck with your dad, btw, mine just got diagnosed with colon cancer too, he's also 71. He is going to have a ressection on June 17th and do chemo afterwards, he's an ox, nothing affects him, this is his 5th malignancy!