Need advice

Beetu
Beetu Member Posts: 4
in Colorectal Cancer #1

hello all, my wife,47, has been diagnosed with stage 4  colon cancer with liver mets.  This was in April last- it's tragic- her mom had same but we were not told to screen her.  May 3 we started with chemo - the size of the lesion in liver was big.  docs advised to do chemo and hope for window of surgery to open.  After first chemo ( folfox 5fu) we did kras nras etc and on result they started erbitux.  Now, total 4 chemos done ( out of which 3 were Erbitux and folfox) we did a pet ct Om 10 TH July which is showing disease progression.  The liver lesion has grown.  They obviously want to stop erbitux and switch to second line avastin plus folfiri.  We are totally confused.  Whether alternates should be tried since onc is not giving her much time to live. Or start with avastin and folfiri.  CEA level has shot up to 1604 from 213 when disease was found - -and that too post chemo.  Want to save her at any cost.  Have just be daughter who is unmarried.  Anyone with similar can advise pls? also stage 4 and this condition, does anyone honk tumour can still regress and she can get better Or live a few years.  Grateful fr any advise. V are in Mumbai, india. 

Comments

  • Beetu
    Beetu Member Posts: 4
    #2
    Need advice

    hi all,  read a few more posts here and thought to give more info.  she couldnt be operated since the size of the lesion in liver in April was 7 cms -  docs wanted it to shrink so that it becomes operable.  Now after 4 chemos the lesion has grown to 9.6 cms.  She has gone very weak and just don't know what to do.  They are now suggesting second line chemo.  What are the chances? Any other thought comes to anyone's mind as to how to handle this.  I am too distressed. 

  • Lovekitties
    Lovekitties Member Posts: 3,364 Member
    #3
    Welcome to the board

    I am so sorry that you have the need to be here, but you have found a lot of great folks who will share their own experiences and thoughts on any questions you have.

    Changing chemo with hopes that it will work better than the current one, is pretty much what most will recommend.

    There is a procedure called Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) which can be done in some cases.  The size of the tumor may be an issues.

    There is also a procedure called Chemoembolization where chemo is put directly into the liver.

    If you tell us generally where you are located, some of our members may have specific recommendations about who/where they have had either of these procedures done.

    Wishing your wife all the best,

    Marie who loves kitties

  • lp1964
    lp1964 Member Posts: 1,239 Member
    #4
    Dear Friend,

    I am very sorry that you are not getting the results you were hoping for. There is a chemo sensitivity test where they take live cancer cells through biopsy and they test them against different chemos and combination of chemos to see which one is the most effective. It is expensive ($4,000) and there is a doctor here in California who performs these. Check out: rationaltherapeutics.com

    All the best,

    Laz

  • Beetu
    Beetu Member Posts: 4
    #5
    lp1964 said:

    Dear Friend,

    I am very sorry that you are not getting the results you were hoping for. There is a chemo sensitivity test where they take live cancer cells through biopsy and they test them against different chemos and combination of chemos to see which one is the most effective. It is expensive ($4,000) and there is a doctor here in California who performs these. Check out: rationaltherapeutics.com

    All the best,

    Laz

    Hi 
    many thanks. Went thru

    Hi 

    many thanks. Went thru that site.  Looks difficult to end sample from india for two reasons. 1. taking live liver cell and 2. Distance and time factors.  Her health has become frail.  But no one has yet responded on the question whether avastin and folfiri has worked as second line chemo when the first line chemo of folfox and ERBITUX has not worked.  Wish someone throws light.  Too distressed. 

    Best regs.

  • UncleBuddy
    UncleBuddy Member Posts: 1,019 Member
    #6
    Beetu said:

    Hi 
    many thanks. Went thru

    Hi 

    many thanks. Went thru that site.  Looks difficult to end sample from india for two reasons. 1. taking live liver cell and 2. Distance and time factors.  Her health has become frail.  But no one has yet responded on the question whether avastin and folfiri has worked as second line chemo when the first line chemo of folfox and ERBITUX has not worked.  Wish someone throws light.  Too distressed. 

    Best regs.

    Hi

    Everyone responds differently. My brother's liver and lung mets were kept under control using Folfiri. His lung mets stopped growing and the liver tumor started to shrink. He had some heart issues so they ended up taking him off of Folfiri and just giving him Irinotecan which I believe is one of the drug in Folfiri. They just added the 5- FU back in at a low dose today because his liver tumor started to grow a little bit. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2011 and is still feeling pretty well. 

    Lin

  • Beetu
    Beetu Member Posts: 4
    #7
    UncleBuddy said:

    Hi

    Everyone responds differently. My brother's liver and lung mets were kept under control using Folfiri. His lung mets stopped growing and the liver tumor started to shrink. He had some heart issues so they ended up taking him off of Folfiri and just giving him Irinotecan which I believe is one of the drug in Folfiri. They just added the 5- FU back in at a low dose today because his liver tumor started to grow a little bit. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2011 and is still feeling pretty well. 

    Lin

    Hi Lin. Thanks.  She has lost

    Hi Lin. Thanks.  She has lost lot of weight and is very weak too.  her stage 4 is also a cause of concern.  What stage was your brother in 2011? V hv given one  cycle and will decide on the next after v do a CEA test.

  • John23
    John23 Member Posts: 2,122 Member
    #8
    Beetu said:

    Hi Lin. Thanks.  She has lost

    Hi Lin. Thanks.  She has lost lot of weight and is very weak too.  her stage 4 is also a cause of concern.  What stage was your brother in 2011? V hv given one  cycle and will decide on the next after v do a CEA test.

    Traditional Chinese Medicine in India

     

     

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    John

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