My dad was recently diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer. He had about a foot of his colon and 11 lymph nodes removed and started chemo (FOLFOX w/ Avastin). His side effects were horrible...unable to sleep, feeling like he's crawling out of his skin, unable to hold still, etc. After 2 months they did a CT scan last week and told us that the cancer has progressed. They switched him to CPT-11 with Erbitux. He's only 62 and otherwise healthy. He had lost 20 pounds before surgery and is still losing weight. He has lost over 30 pounds now. The metastases are covering a LOT of his liver and the doctors say surgery will never be an option. Last week I found two doctors at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas who are growing the healthy part of the liver and then doing a resection. Help! I'm waiting to hear from them, but my dad is very depressed. He tends to be a skeptic and I think that is hurting him. He has been unable to work since May. Any advice? My sister and I have been doing a lot of research, but it seems overwhelming. I found the doctors in Texas by accident, really, and they are the best hope I have found! Is anyone familiar with Dr. Abdalla or Dr. Wolff or their Portal Vein Embolization or Staged Resection treatments? Has anyone had their tumor shrink after not responding to the first chemo?
Thanks, this is my first time in a chat room and it feels kind of strange, but I am desparate...