Stage IV Treatment Plan - Comments Please

themis01

Well we have decided on a treatment plan for my Mom and picked an onc. that really seems knowledgeable about colon cancer. She will be having chemo for 5 or 6 sessions and then surgery to remove anything that is left in the abdomen and liver area. Right now the areas are small but they want them as small as possible. There is a surgeon that does a very new surgery of the peritoneum area where he actually peels layers of it off and washes it with chemo and uses heat. It sounds pretty crazy but seems to be a better chance of long-term survival than just chemo. Then after the surgery she will again have chemo in hopes of clearing up the microscopic cancer material that is left. She knows a lady that had this same procedure and just hit the five year mark of being cancer free. Wow that would be so cool!!! I would love to hear any comments any of you may have regarding any parts of the treatment. Her chemo will be Folfox- 6. Are there stats out there on the rates of recurrences after surgery? This is all going to be such a major surgery I am jsut hoping maybe she can avoid recurrence. Of course that is what stage 3 and 4 patients are hoping for. I feel good that surgery is going to be in the picture I seem to read so many more instances of long term survival when surgery is involved. Is this true?? i am also wondering what the response rate is to the Folfox- 6 chemo??
Thanks for any advice or comments.

StacyGleaso

Hi Erika,
I sent you an e-mail earlier today...major case of insomnia...anyway, let me know if I can help more!

Stacy