What would you do??

Please feel free to read, share your thoughts, your stories and connect with others!
jep
Posts: 260
Joined: Sun Jun 11, 2017 7:45 pm
Location: New England, USA

What would you do??

Postby jep » Thu May 24, 2018 10:15 am

Hey everyone. So my husband has been doing really well since ending his 6 months of folfox in January. There was initial talk about maintenance chemo (1 to even 2 years), but the oncologist seems to be backing off a bit given my husband's clear scan, clear colonoscopy (one small polyp removed this month, but all else looked good), and his good blood work. My husband is happy about this, and I know I should be too, but I don't want us to ever have that "what if" moment. He's stage 4 and was unable to get the avastin due to his surgical drain (which was in him for 9 long months). I feel like maybe doing the xeloda + avastin would give us that extra edge in the battle. Am I being selfish? The oncologist didn't rule it out completely, but basically went from "this is what I would do if I were you" to "let's wait and see." I know every person has to make his or her own decision given the many varying circumstances, but any input, advice, or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much for all of your support over the past year.
jep
Stage IV CC 5/16/17
Loc: recto-sig
Type: Adenocarcinoma
Size: 7.4 cm
Grade: G3
TNM: T3N2M1
LNs: 8/20
BL CEA: .9
LVI: present
Perineural invasion: present
LAR margins: clear (w/in microns)
Folfox (8/17-1/18)
Scope 6/18 - CLEAR! - 2 polyps
PET 10/17/18: 3 pos LNs
Irino + Vecti (11/18)
CEA: 1.7 (2/19)
Xel + rad (5/19)
Surgery: 8/21/19 (aborted)
P1 Trial 10/19 - 12/19
Bypass 12/6/19
Folfox + vecti 1/2/19 - 4/3/20
Kid Fail 5/1/20
Folfiri + Avastin 5/20 - 6/20
bypass 6/29/20
Stivarga 7/18/20 -
Home 9/10/20

User avatar
Atoq
Posts: 412
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2017 9:31 am

Re: What would you do??

Postby Atoq » Thu May 24, 2018 12:28 pm

I think it is very difficult to answer, I live in Norway, I am stage IV and I am not even getting mop up chemo after surgery. It is impossible to know if we are overtreating or undertreating, only time will show. And even in the case of reoccurrence it is not sure that more chemo would have helped.

The «what if» game can also include diet, traning, life style. And what about life quality? It is really a trade off. Personally I would follow the advice of doctors because at least I would not sit will all the responsability of the choice alone.

In my case I think more «what if I insist to get more chemo and then I get reoccurrence anyway?» Then I would have had the same (crappy) outcome, but I could have enjoyed some months with good quality of life with my family without going through all the side effects of chemo.

Best

Claudia
1972, 2 kids
Dx rectal cancer 10.2017
T3N2aMX (met left lung 8 mm)
Lynch neg
CEA 1.8
Neoadjuvant chemoradio Xeloda + 25x2 Gy
05.12.17 laparotomic surg. for blockage, colostomy
25.01.18 laparotomic lar, hysterectomy, ileostomy
05.03.18 core needle lung biopsy
07.05.18 CAT scan, lung met 11 mm
04.06.18 ileo reversal
26.06.18 wedge VATS
24.08.18, 31.02.19 CAT scan
12.09.18, 06.02.19 scope, CEA 1.6
19.11.18 scope
20.08.19 CAT, eco
13.09.19 scope, CEA 1.2
18.03.20 CAT, eco, scope, NED
29.11.20 CAT, NED
2023 NED


Return to “Colon Talk - Colon cancer (colorectal cancer) support forum”



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 105 guests