Need help please, CEA rising

slamb58
slamb58 Member Posts: 31
in Colorectal Cancer #1
I don't post on here too often, but I do get valuable information from everybody on here. A little background about my situation. I was dx'd June 2008 with stage IV colon cancer with 3 liver mets. They removed the primary immediately, and then I did Xelox for approximately 4 months, before they determined it was time to remove the liver mets. The surgery was successful, and I finished up my chemo after. A year later I had a recurrence in the liver a and had a RFA, then a few months later another recurrence in the liver and back on treatment. I have been on treatment on and off since Jan of 2011. My onc referred me to a surgeon to see about removing my right lobe since that is where my problems have been. So they were getting ready to schedule a PVE to grow my left lobe before removing my right lobe, and a couple of weeks ago I had a CT scan after my CEA rose to 6.6, and now a couple of lung nodules have become a little active and grew some. My onc is pretty sure it is cancer, so now my liver surgery is on hold. I told my onc, ok lets get these zapped with cyperknife or a RFA as I've heard several people on here have done for lung mets. She is telling me that they probably won't do that because I also have it in the liver. And she is saying the data doesn't show there would be a benefit. What!!! She is going to take it to the tumor board, however and see what they say. Has anybody ever had these procedures for lung mets, if they had mets in the liver or somewhere else. I only have one met in the liver, and I haven't had any new disease show up other than these 2 lung nodules that they have been watching since my dx'd is 2008. The liver surgeon said he will do the liver surgery, but he wants to make sure these lung nodules are stable since I will have to be off treatment for the surgery. I don't understand these dr's sometimes. It is like they want to refer to these older stats. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Comments

  • John23
    John23 Member Posts: 2,122 Member
    #2
    slamb58 -

    " I told my onc, ok lets get these zapped with cyperknife "

    It almost sounds like you should be making arrangements
    for a second opinion!

    A Colorectal surgeon's opinion is my personal preference
    for any opinion regarding cancer. They see and hear of
    nearly all the cancer cases, and can often offer a more
    objective opinion that a physician specializing in chemicals
    and other toxic remedies.

    Locate a Colorectal surgeon that is not a member of the
    same group or organization as you present physicians.

    Personally, I would not argue with what a physician is telling
    me what not to do regarding a western medicine treatment.

    I also would not blindly insist, and rush into, any treatment I
    may read about in a forum setting, regardless if it's western
    medicine, or an alternative to it. Time should be spent learning
    as much as possible about the treatment you will be undertaking,
    prior to taking that treatment.

    "Cyberknife" is not what some people depict as a non-invasive
    surgery; the radioactive beam has to go through all layers
    of skin and bone to go from point "A" to the target. It's called
    "radiation" because it radiates, and that radiation permeates
    all that is near the radioactive beam. It is aimed more precisely
    than the "older" technology, but it carries damage none-the-less.

    If a tumor is about to take your life, it may be an option to consider,
    but most cancers grow slowly, providing enough time to seek
    other, more safer remedies.

    I have a friend that is in the stages of dying a very, very slow
    death. Her cancer has been gone, but the effects of radiation
    treatments are causing her body to die from the inside out.
    There is no remedy for that; none. Please do not be so eager
    to rush into radioactive treatments of any kind. Open surgery
    should be the first line of defense, and if the local surgeon
    specializing in colorectal/cancer surgery will not do it, look
    elsewhere for one that has more experience.

    I wish you all the best,

    John
  • Buckwirth
    Buckwirth Member Posts: 1,258 Member
    #3
    Any possiblity
    of doing the lung surgery and the liver at the same time? This could reduce your period off chemo, and possibly leave you NED for a period.

    Your surgeons are not necessarily using old data, but if you think there is something more recent you can do the research and show them. Part of the data problem with our medical teams is that there is so much out there, and they are not of focused on a single disease, so they may not be aware of some recent development in mCRC treatment.

    Now, the tumor board should be more up to date, which is why a good doctor will refer each case rather than just trusting his/her own judgement.

    As to the risks of radiation: Not all tumors are slow growing, and for some even a small increase in size can have a devastating effect, so the risk/benefit analysis of radiation is almost always on the side of benefit. Along with Cyberknife there is also SIR-Spheres as an option. These could allow you to deal with the lungs and let the liver wait for a few months.

    Just some thoughts,

    Blake
  • slamb58
    slamb58 Member Posts: 31
    #4
    John23 said:

    slamb58 -

    " I told my onc, ok lets get these zapped with cyperknife "

    It almost sounds like you should be making arrangements
    for a second opinion!

    A Colorectal surgeon's opinion is my personal preference
    for any opinion regarding cancer. They see and hear of
    nearly all the cancer cases, and can often offer a more
    objective opinion that a physician specializing in chemicals
    and other toxic remedies.

    Locate a Colorectal surgeon that is not a member of the
    same group or organization as you present physicians.

    Personally, I would not argue with what a physician is telling
    me what not to do regarding a western medicine treatment.

    I also would not blindly insist, and rush into, any treatment I
    may read about in a forum setting, regardless if it's western
    medicine, or an alternative to it. Time should be spent learning
    as much as possible about the treatment you will be undertaking,
    prior to taking that treatment.

    "Cyberknife" is not what some people depict as a non-invasive
    surgery; the radioactive beam has to go through all layers
    of skin and bone to go from point "A" to the target. It's called
    "radiation" because it radiates, and that radiation permeates
    all that is near the radioactive beam. It is aimed more precisely
    than the "older" technology, but it carries damage none-the-less.

    If a tumor is about to take your life, it may be an option to consider,
    but most cancers grow slowly, providing enough time to seek
    other, more safer remedies.

    I have a friend that is in the stages of dying a very, very slow
    death. Her cancer has been gone, but the effects of radiation
    treatments are causing her body to die from the inside out.
    There is no remedy for that; none. Please do not be so eager
    to rush into radioactive treatments of any kind. Open surgery
    should be the first line of defense, and if the local surgeon
    specializing in colorectal/cancer surgery will not do it, look
    elsewhere for one that has more experience.

    I wish you all the best,

    John

    Thanks John
    Thank you for your information. It does make me stop for a second and think this through a little more.

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