Asking for some inspiration and advice for my brother

laurachapple

Hi all!

I'm posting from the UK so I understand there will be some different info from what I assume are mostly USA friends. My brother, 33, was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer which had spread into his liver in January.

He began chemotherapy quickly for 3 months which he responded to well (minus side effects). It shrunk the all the tumors significantly and they were able to operate on his liver, removing 50% of it. He has just received results from his most recent MRI and PET scans that show the tumor in his colon has regrown and new tumours in his original liver have appeared. His oncologist has said the colon is inoperable as the tumor is now pressing on some bone and they're worried about the healing time between chemo stints.

His oncologist is quite the pessimist (and while i understand they cant give false promises, a little hope would go a long way). My brother and his wife feel like he looks at them like a lost cause and they're wondering how best to move forward from here.

The two curiosities they have if anyone can help is how best to go about getting a second opinion and how to move forward when you feel a bit abandoned by the oncologist after 9 months of treatment. When they know your case better than anyone but you feel like a lost cause in your doctors eyes. Is a second opinion the best route? Can you find strength from somewhere else? Any complementary therapies to help keep them strong?

I have seen many success stories since newly joining this forum and those alone have given him a little brightness but any other information or advice you could give would be so appreciated and go a long way. He has historically struggled with his mental health and doesn't feel strong enough to do this.

Thank you in advance,

Laura

abita

I would definitely get a 2nd opinion if you can. Also, there are many types of colon cancer. Different mutations which can require different chemos. Some have more options than others.

I too had an immediate recurrence in the liver after having my liver and colon tumors surgically removed. There were too close to something to be surgical candidates.

And here I am, gone through many chemos (they stop working after a while so you have to move on to another one). I can't do everything I did before because yeah, chemo sucks. But I work, pre-pandemic I went out with friends, I spend quality time with my loved ones, and while it is different than before, I am so happy to keep on going and hopeful that more drugs are discovered for me.

Not sure what the healing time between chemo stints mean. Guessing that it means they are afraid if wean off chemo to remove one, the others will grow more than they would like. It is true that there must be a wean off period and that after the body has to have time to heal before can start again.