Final dx stage 3 w/ pos. lymph?

pia123run

What does that mean exactly? I am starting to research now. My pa had surgery 10-27-05. He was dx this past summer with rectal ca. He had chemo and radiation prior to surgery. We now Know he is stage 3 w/pos. lymph. 17/17 posative. what does that mean for prognosis? I know he will undergo more chemo but then what?

alihamilton

Hi....there is no way of knowing how things will turn out for anyone diagnosed with cancer but your father stands as good a chance as many others of survival. My husband had 11 out of 18 positive nodes and had no chemo or radiotherapy prior to surgery. He had 8 months of chemo and chemo/radiotherapy for 5 weeks during that time. His chemo was protracted towards the end as he had some complications and could not take the full dose too often. However, having been diagnosed in July 2003, he is presently well. He has to have his CEA tests next week and, if that result is OK, a CT scan in January next year. He is feeling very well. He is 65 years old and working full time again as an attorney.

So, keep the faith. As I say, noone can say how long any of us have to live. We have seen so many on this board who were given a bad prognosis and who are doing so well today.

Take care,

Ali

Moesimo

There are many stage 3 survivors here, myself included. It has been almost 2 1/2 years since my surgery and I am doing well.

Moe

HowardJ

Hi Pia,
Cancer is "staged" by doctors to understand/describe how far the cancer has spread. Staging also then suggests treatment plans and prognosis. For colon cancer stage 1 is very early and easily removed. Stage 2 indicates the cancer has penetrated into the wall of the colon and perhaps through it completely. Stage 3 means the cancer has traveled through the lymph system to lymph nodes, and stage 4, the cancer has spread via the blood stream to other organs such as the liver or lung. The prognosis defined by staging are developed by following large numbers of cancer patients and coming up with averages. Please remember that everyone is different and the numbers are generalizations which may not be relevant for specific patients. There are plenty of stage 3 survivors on this web site. While I'm stage 2, my dad was diagnosed with stage 3, 5 years ago this month and he's still around.
Good luck to your dad. The best thing you can do is be supportive and try to understand what he needs (don't assume, ask him).
Howard

taraHK

Your pa has a very similar diagnosis to me. I was diagnosed with rectal cancer, stage 3 with positive lymph nodes. I also had chemoradiation prior to surgery. The chemo after surgery is to wipe out any 'micrometases' (tiny cancer cells which cannot be detected yet -- but, since the lymph nodes were positive, could well have escaped out). You should be able to find out some statistics, if you want to, either from your dad's doctor or by website search. But, it is important to interpret these with a great deal of caution. Not only do they refer to averages, rather than an individual, but also, by the time an article gets to print in a medical journal, it is already out of date. The study may have been conducted 5 years earlier, for example. There have been a lot of changes in chemo drugs/regimes in the last few years, and so the situation has changed. After your dad's chemo, I am sure he will be monitored very carefully with follow-up tests, probably including blood tests, colonoscopy, scans....
Best wishes to you both

Lisa Rose

Hi Pia,

My name is Lisa Rose and I also had rectal cancer, my surgery was March 20, 2002. Like your dad I also had positive lymph nodes 10 out of 14. My treatment was chemo and radiotherapy starting 6 weeks after my surgery. Now 44 month's later life is good again..

Stay Strong...
Lisa