Just found out about Chemo, should I get a second opinion

thready

I was diagnosed with colon cancer and have had a resection. I guess I am a Stage 3, the cancer left the bowel and 1 lymph node out of 20 had was positive. I have visited with the Oncologist and scheduled to start Folfox on October 28th. She said I needed a bit of time to heal before starting the chemo.

Should I get a second opinion about the type of chemo? I am scared to death right now.
Any help appreciated.

Kathryn_in_MN

If you aren't comfortable
If you aren't comfortable with your oncologist, get a second opinion. But from what you describe, it sounds like your staging makes it normal protocol for FolFox. (Or the alternative is Xelox.)

I am IIIc and had my resection September 2. I get my port put in tomorrow and start Folfox on October 8. I too considered a second opinion, but after researching realized there aren't a lot of options to choose from. I like the cancer center and the way they are set up, so I ended up not getting a second opinion.

You can get a lot of information from books and on the Internet - cancer sites and message boards. This is a great supportive group on this board. If you have any questions, ask and they'll answer.

dianetavegia

That's the normal
Hi Thready,
I'd say that most of us were given 5 to 6 weeks to heal before chemo began and virtually every Stage III colon cancer patient (not rectal/ anal as they have radiation and chemo is spread out around other tx's) got exactly what your onc is going to give you.

I'm sure you're scared, but remember that Stage III is still curable so go for the cure and please.... pay attention to the following.

Information for our new members.
The studies were all done on Stage III colon cancer patients.


A: an aspirin a day
B: Better diet with no red meat or limited to 4 ounces a month
C: Calcium
Vitamin D3 which is only found in a few foods. Note: this is NOT the Vit. D in One a Day, etc. It is in Centrum Ultra, etc.
E: Exercise The Dana Farber Cancer Institute has done several studies which prove recurrence can be avoided at a rate of 55% in Stage III women who exercise regularly.


ASPIRIN:
CHICAGO – Score another win for the humble aspirin. A study suggests colon cancer patients who took the dirt-cheap wonder drug reduced their risk of death from the disease by nearly 30 percent.

Aspirin already is recommended for preventing heart attacks and strokes, along with its traditional use for relief of minor aches and pains. Its merit in colon cancer prevention has been tempered by its side effects, bleeding from irritation of the stomach or intestines.

The new study suggests patients who already have colon cancer may benefit from taking aspirin along with surgery and chemotherapy. In a separate analysis of a subgroup of patients, only those with the most common type of tumor, those that overproduce the Cox-2 enzyme, saw a benefit.

"The paper is absolutely incredible, and I don't gush normally," said Dr. Alfred Neugut of Columbia University Medical Center in New York who has done similar research but was not involved in the new study. In an accompanying editorial, Neugut wrote that the study "comes as close as it can to offering patients a way to help themselves.".....
The yahoo link for this article is now old but a search can be done online for more information using the doctor's name.


BETTER DIET: The Mediterranean Diet is believed (study being done at U of Mich) to raise survival rates from Colon Cancer by 6%. Mediterranean Diet HERE:
Click Here

CALCIUM:
Should Everyone Take Calcium and Vitamin D?
Written by Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD.

Only about five years ago, every patient of mine who finished chemotherapy was given a vitamin cocktail to further reduce colon cancer risk. It was calcium, selenium, vitamin E and folic acid.

Over the last three years, folic acid has been shown to increase growth of polyps, and in patients with metastatic disease it may shorten life. The protective value of vitamin E has been questioned, and there was evidence that it might increase prostate cancer risk. Selenium did not show benefit.

So we are down to calcium. This supplement has been shown repeatedly to benefit patients by reducing cancer risk for a variety of solid tumors including colon cancer. A recent publication by Dr. Yikyung Park from the National Cancer Institute showed that supplementation of 1200 mg calcium in women and men over the age of 50 decreased cancer risk by 17% for men and 23% for women (Archives of Internal Medicine, February 23, 2009). These were cancers of the gastrointestinal tract mainly colon cancers.

The usually source for calcium in our diet is milk products (yogurt, cheese etc) as well as meat. The calcium pathway is very interesting because it requires activity of vitamin D. Without vitamin D it is difficult to absorb calcium and put it into the organs where we need it, but to make sure we have sufficient vitamin D we need some sun exposure (vitamin D is activated in the skin) and we need a functional kidney.

When vitamin D was tested in patients with colon cancer it was found by Dr. Charles Fuchs in the Journal of Clinical Oncology published in June last year that the patients with the highest vitamin D levels lived longer suggesting that low levels may be associated with shorter survival. I recommend all my patients take 1500 mg of calcium and 1000-3000 units of vitamin D daily.

If you have a history of kidney stones or inflammatory bowel disease please check with your doctor first before starting calcium supplements.

D3: Watch this video on Vitamin D3 and cancer
Watch the Youtube video at: Click Here

In a new study, researchers at the Moores Cancer Center and Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, UC San Diego used a complex computer prediction model to determine that intake of vitamin D...

EXERCISE: Do a web search for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute colon cancer exercise Using all those words should bring it right up. 55% is amazing!

Patteee

I am also stage 3, 3b to be
I am also stage 3, 3b to be more exact. I had my resection at Mayo and met with an oncologist there before I was discharged. The way he described it- that stage 3 worldwide standard for treatment is Folfox, every 2 weeks for 6 months. That no matter where I got my treatment, that it would be this standard. He encouraged me to stay close to home with treatment, there was no need to make the trip to Mayo to get it, because the treatment would be the same. That to me was VERY comforting- then I could focus on the clinic, the location to my home, the oncologist, the nursing staff. In my first visit then I talked about side effects, how they treat issues, how availabe they were to patients and so forth. I already knew what the treatment would be, so I could focus on some details. Those things were important and really helped develop a level of trust on my care.

I know you are scared! What helped me was to focus only on today. Yes, without a doubt that was hard. But going over what had happened, the emergency, the surgery- man it was pretty horrific! Thinking about tomorrow or the future would not only be so overwhelming for me, I would be paralyzed on the moment or the day I was in. It helped to keep lists, focus on the day I was in, what I needed to do for that day and then let go of the rest. Treat the fear with confidence, knowledge and action. The knowledge piece was the hardest for me- I literally could not talk about or think about having cancer and what that meant. I turned a lot of that over to my mother and sister, who were my caregivers. Example: I had a colostomy, my mother was in on all my meetings with the stoma nurse, she read all the literature and then supported me through the process until I could handle it. Either my sister or mother went to every doctor appointment, because not only could I not think of the right questions, I also wasn't sure of the answers. It helped to have someone else there that could clarify it for me later. I did get to the point where I could handle more and more, but it truly was helpful to have someone emotionally and mentally support me.

thready

Patteee said:

I am also stage 3, 3b to be
I am also stage 3, 3b to be more exact. I had my resection at Mayo and met with an oncologist there before I was discharged. The way he described it- that stage 3 worldwide standard for treatment is Folfox, every 2 weeks for 6 months. That no matter where I got my treatment, that it would be this standard. He encouraged me to stay close to home with treatment, there was no need to make the trip to Mayo to get it, because the treatment would be the same. That to me was VERY comforting- then I could focus on the clinic, the location to my home, the oncologist, the nursing staff. In my first visit then I talked about side effects, how they treat issues, how availabe they were to patients and so forth. I already knew what the treatment would be, so I could focus on some details. Those things were important and really helped develop a level of trust on my care.

I know you are scared! What helped me was to focus only on today. Yes, without a doubt that was hard. But going over what had happened, the emergency, the surgery- man it was pretty horrific! Thinking about tomorrow or the future would not only be so overwhelming for me, I would be paralyzed on the moment or the day I was in. It helped to keep lists, focus on the day I was in, what I needed to do for that day and then let go of the rest. Treat the fear with confidence, knowledge and action. The knowledge piece was the hardest for me- I literally could not talk about or think about having cancer and what that meant. I turned a lot of that over to my mother and sister, who were my caregivers. Example: I had a colostomy, my mother was in on all my meetings with the stoma nurse, she read all the literature and then supported me through the process until I could handle it. Either my sister or mother went to every doctor appointment, because not only could I not think of the right questions, I also wasn't sure of the answers. It helped to have someone else there that could clarify it for me later. I did get to the point where I could handle more and more, but it truly was helpful to have someone emotionally and mentally support me.

Thank you for your help
I have been reading through this discussion board it sounds like everyone is very open and honest and is willing to give information. I think this will really help.

Thank you for your reponses, I will look up the information given and am taking everything to heart.

Thank you, I am sure I will be back often.

Shayenne

thready said:

Thank you for your help
I have been reading through this discussion board it sounds like everyone is very open and honest and is willing to give information. I think this will really help.

Thank you for your reponses, I will look up the information given and am taking everything to heart.

Thank you, I am sure I will be back often.

We....
...look forward to seeing you back here thready

Welcome to the forum, and post often

Hugsss!
~Donna

Annabelle41415

Treatment
Sounds like you are on the correct chemo. They do treat different stages with different chemos, but the one you are going to be on is common for colon cancer. Only get a second opinion if you feel uncomfortable with your doctor or you just want to hear that your current doctor is in agreement. Also, whenever you take anything OTC make sure you ask your doctor as some doctors don't want you to take anything or only approved OTC's that they agree with. You are going to be scared and it is very normal. We are here to help.

Kim

Unknown

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