CT Results

patsy1954

I had my CT done on Friday and got the results yesterday. I want to call it good news. No new tumors found (good news), Lymph nodes around my aorta have less cancer, but still some cancer (OK news), liver tumor that was 11cm X 9cm at diagnosis have shrunk to half the size (good news), can't have liver resection due to the presence of cancer in the lymph nodes (bad news), possible to have chemoembolization in the future (good news). I start on Xeloda today. Anybody want to share their experience on Xeloda that would be great! Anyone want to share experience with embolization? All in all after 12 treatments with Folfox I think that the news is promising. Thanks to everyone who sent good wishes my way, I really appreciated it.

Pat

lisa42

another opinion on liver resection
Hi Pat,

Your scan news is definitely overall good news!
Re. you being told that you can't have a liver resection because the cancer is in your lymph nodes, I would defnitely seek out another opinion on that.
I had a liver resection when I still had nodules in my lungs. They were PET negative at the time, but they definitely still showed up on my CT scan. I've read that some surgeons are not always sticking by the "no liver surgery if cancer is elsewhere" thought anymore- they are taking it more on a case by case basis to help with survival and prolonging life. Please look into finding someone who has a different idea on this that what you've been told.

Blessings to you!
Lisa

patsy1954

lisa42 said:

another opinion on liver resection
Hi Pat,

Your scan news is definitely overall good news!
Re. you being told that you can't have a liver resection because the cancer is in your lymph nodes, I would defnitely seek out another opinion on that.
I had a liver resection when I still had nodules in my lungs. They were PET negative at the time, but they definitely still showed up on my CT scan. I've read that some surgeons are not always sticking by the "no liver surgery if cancer is elsewhere" thought anymore- they are taking it more on a case by case basis to help with survival and prolonging life. Please look into finding someone who has a different idea on this that what you've been told.

Blessings to you!
Lisa

Liver Resection
What my oncologist said was that since a liver resection is such a "big surgery" and the proximity of my cancerous nodes to the liver that he would question the benefits vs risks. He will present my case before the tumor board and ask for their recommendation. I will wait and see what the tumor board says and push him if I don't like the answer. When I went for a second opinion at Dana Farber Cancer Center in Boston in early May, they said right off "no liver resection". I was shocked since I had only had one round of chemo at that time. I think that the size of my tumor is also a factor. I only pray that the Xeloda makes it shrink some more and go from there. I'm glad to hear that you feel that the scan was good news, I sometimes doubt myself and think that maybe I am just hiding under a rock and want to believe that I will be NED within the next year!!!

Pat

luv3jay

Interesting!
First of all...great news about your scans. But I had a liver resection with positive nodes. Then I had all the nodes taken out about 2 months later during my rectum resection. But anyway...I didn't have good results with the Xeloda. Tumors popped up in my lungs while I was on Xeloda. Hope you have better results!

-Sheri

patsy1954

luv3jay said:

Interesting!
First of all...great news about your scans. But I had a liver resection with positive nodes. Then I had all the nodes taken out about 2 months later during my rectum resection. But anyway...I didn't have good results with the Xeloda. Tumors popped up in my lungs while I was on Xeloda. Hope you have better results!

-Sheri

Positive Nodes
They removed 13 nodes during my resection and 6 were positive. The 5 big cancerous nodes (shown on original pre-diagnosis scan) can not be removed because they are so close to my heart. No one wants to surgically remove them due to the risks involved with damaging my aorta, and I know that you can't survive with a damaged aorta! Too bad about the Xeloda, I won't know how it works for 3 months when I get my next scan. I won't worry about it, I want to enjoy the holidays!

Pat

sfmarie

patsy1954 said:

Positive Nodes
They removed 13 nodes during my resection and 6 were positive. The 5 big cancerous nodes (shown on original pre-diagnosis scan) can not be removed because they are so close to my heart. No one wants to surgically remove them due to the risks involved with damaging my aorta, and I know that you can't survive with a damaged aorta! Too bad about the Xeloda, I won't know how it works for 3 months when I get my next scan. I won't worry about it, I want to enjoy the holidays!

Pat

Surgery
I went to a Colon Cancer Alliance Seminar last weekend at UCSF, where they had their colorectal team on the panel. Oncologist, Colorectal Surgeon, Radiologist, Interventional Radiologist. What I found interesting is that they all stressed the importance of systemic chemo. They said that if there is cancer in the nodes then most likely there is cancer that cannot be seen and that systemic chemo is the best option. What I gathered is that after it is all under control, then they evaluate for surgery. The good news; there was a 15 year survivor of stage IV cc at the conference! No surgery does not necessarily mean no surgery down the line and I believe that there are so many options. Don't give up HOPE. Hugs, Marie

patsy1954

sfmarie said:

Surgery
I went to a Colon Cancer Alliance Seminar last weekend at UCSF, where they had their colorectal team on the panel. Oncologist, Colorectal Surgeon, Radiologist, Interventional Radiologist. What I found interesting is that they all stressed the importance of systemic chemo. They said that if there is cancer in the nodes then most likely there is cancer that cannot be seen and that systemic chemo is the best option. What I gathered is that after it is all under control, then they evaluate for surgery. The good news; there was a 15 year survivor of stage IV cc at the conference! No surgery does not necessarily mean no surgery down the line and I believe that there are so many options. Don't give up HOPE. Hugs, Marie

Thanks
Thanks for the info, it's very promising news. I haven't given up on the possibility of surgery in the future, I will contact my surgical oncologist in the near future once I see how the Xeloda works. I also appreciate the hugs:)

Pat

PGLGreg

patsy1954 said:

Liver Resection
What my oncologist said was that since a liver resection is such a "big surgery" and the proximity of my cancerous nodes to the liver that he would question the benefits vs risks. He will present my case before the tumor board and ask for their recommendation. I will wait and see what the tumor board says and push him if I don't like the answer. When I went for a second opinion at Dana Farber Cancer Center in Boston in early May, they said right off "no liver resection". I was shocked since I had only had one round of chemo at that time. I think that the size of my tumor is also a factor. I only pray that the Xeloda makes it shrink some more and go from there. I'm glad to hear that you feel that the scan was good news, I sometimes doubt myself and think that maybe I am just hiding under a rock and want to believe that I will be NED within the next year!!!

Pat

"NED within the next year!!!"
That sounds like a reasonable prediction to me.

--Greg

robinvan

Hey Pat
Thanks for sharing the good news. It sounds like the response has been good overall.

I know that up here... "no extra-hepatic malignancies" (no cancer evidence outside liver) is often a condition of RFA and liver resections. I haven't had to push it because I met the criterea at the time of my original diagnosis in 2004 and my recurrence in 2007.

I saw my liver surgeon this week after my 6mo. Liver scan. I was expecting it to come up but my liver turned out to be clear. I'm currently dealing with a local recurrence in the sacrum/rectum area.

I hope the xeloda knocks the beast out of your lymph nodes and sets you up for a liver resection!

Xeloda... I loaded up on vitamin B6. It is recommended in their literature. Not sure if it helped but I didn't have the skin problems on my hands or feet. Check with your Onc clinic for dose.

All the very best... Rob; in Vancouver

Mike49

Xeloda tip
Pat, Take very good care of your feet, I used bag balm, /craig recommended it to me it helped with the burning. I still lost alot of skin from my feet so stay on it, hands can be red and painful too,, lots of lotion. Good luck, They changed me off it after three er four cycles because it showed no improvement. I am now on Folfiri. similar disease state my active nodes are close to the abdominal aorta.