Anyone know of a treatment for Mets confined to inside the peritoneum

allackey
allackey Member Posts: 19
in Colorectal Cancer #1
My wife is currently NED (for about a month). She was on irinotican and xeloda and avastin. Is there something more I should be doing with her to pursue perhaps a better treatment regime? Right now the Dr. is considering it palliative Rx. I want a hope for a long term NED and even cure (though Dr. says no cure for stage IV, but I don't hold on to that). I am open to Sloan Kettering but would like to ask the right questions to open the door.

Also I feel her care is good, but it's just "conventional". I want "cutting edge".

PS, mets were in lymph nodes, peritoneum, and on ureter.

Thanks!

Comments

  • janie1
    janie1 Member Posts: 753 Member
    #2
    Hello
    Since you mentioned Sloan, personally I would get another opinion(s) from there. I see from your profile you are in your 40's.....so young.
    If she is NED, I would want to talk to an Integrative Specialist there to get a plan of action, especially if she isn't on chemo. A member here (Abrub) has done very well. She told me you could email the doctors, also. May want to try that first. Two names I remember are Dr. Wersa and Dr. Deng. I hope I have spelled those right, but I'm sure you won't have trouble finding them. If you can't, send me a private message, and I will look harder into all my info. I just wanted to send you a quick response now, to give you some feedback.
    I think too what I would do, is also see another oncologist there (Sloan). I'm sure many other places are very good, but since you mentioned Sloan, I am agreeing that that would not be a waste of your time.

    Some doctors may say there is "no cure" for Stage 4, but the first oncologist I talked to said "Stage 4 is NOT incurable". There are many Stage 4's that are cancer-free. You have to do your due-diligence which is exacting what you are doing by asking the question.

    Ask anything here, and keep us posted.

    (I love your Golden....they probably keep you from losing your sanity in this cancer journey.....i really need one :)
  • pete43lost_at_sea
    pete43lost_at_sea Member Posts: 3,900 Member
    #3
    you can get second and third opinions from convent and alt camps
    if have done it, all and am getting better health out of the alternative functional doctors at present.

    both have lots to offer. the more opinions the merrier, for me anyway that is.

    then whoever offers the most hope i go with!

    only one hospital in australia does the peritoneal operative infusion of chemo here, my onc number two does that. i cannot remember all the details but its seemed like a good offering from the conventional side of the fence given peritoneal mets.

    hugs,
    Pete
  • A1D2N3
    A1D2N3 Member Posts: 6
    #4
    I had the peritoneum
    I had the peritoneum surgery/infusion in 2008. Dr. Richard A Hoefer Jr. - Surgical Oncologist in Newport News Virginia performs that procedure. Quite intense....Surgery and Treatment took about 10 hours. Dr. Hoefer is affiliated with Sentara Surgery Specialists.

    Freedom from treatment for three good years....
  • abrub
    abrub Member Posts: 2,174 Member
    #5
    I had IP chemo at Sloan
    If you are going to MSK, have you asked about Intraperitoneal Chemo? It's a direct chemo bath of the peritoneal cavity, and port placement can be done laparascopically, provided there is no visible tumor. IP chemo cannot penetrate very far, so the tumors must be removed such that any remaining is borderline microscopic, or they won't do that treatment. All of my mets were in the peritoneum (appendix cancer.) I see Dr. Paty at Sloan (my colorectal surgeon). I no longer have a medical oncologist there, as Dr. Chung left. A belly port is place. Then chemo is administered in 3 sessions of 2-3 hours each over 3 days (and left to resorb.) This is repeated every other week for a set number of cycles.

    A side note, Dr. Paty had hoped to do just the laparascopic belly port placement, but saw more tumor. He thus opened me up, cleaned up the tumor till there was none visible, and then placed the port. Chemo was started 48 hours later. I'd been warned going in that he'd be opening me up if he found anything, as he wanted a clear view to search and remove. I'll also add that Dr. Paty is wonderful in so many ways. He ended up resecting my colon in 3 places, but put me back together during the surgery perfectly. Although it took what seemed like forever, my bowels work perfectly, and I can eat anything.

    Drs in Integrative Medicine with whom I've worked: Kathleen Wesa, MD; and Gary Deng, MD. I currently work with Dr. Wesa, who has helped me stabilize my vit D levels, get my liver functioning better (bring down my liver enzymes.) She also has me on supplements (Super Coriolus Mushroom Extract, PSK) which is supposed to be good against colo-rectal cancers, as well as an immunological support.

    PM me for more info - I don't check this site as often as I used to.

    Alice
  • wdwlvr
    wdwlvr Member Posts: 5
    #6
    Had HIPEC
    Hi! I would definately seek a 2nd or even 3rd opinion. My oncologist basically told me there is nothing that could help-except trying a different chemo regimine. But that it wouldn't go away.
    I had also been going to another oncologist at Cancer Treatment Centers of America, and they are the ones that mentioned HIPEC. I was scared of the idea, but knew it was my only shot at every having the chance of being NED.
    I was not able to go out of stated due to my insurance, and luckily there were 2 surgeons here in AZ that could do this. I went to one at the Mayo Clinic...and SO glad I did.
    I am 34 years old, with no other health issues (other than this horrible disease of course). I was in the hospital 8 days, and did quite well considering how intense this surgery is. My surgery was 6 1/2 hours total. All my mets were confined to the peritoneal area (omentum, diaphragm,lining of liver, and pelvic area). The spots were quite small, but there. The surgeon says he got it all out, and the chemo hopefully did the rest.
    Please consider a different opinion somewhere else. If it's confined to the peritoneal area,,,,she has a MUCH better chance of ridding this disease-at least for a while, if not forever hopefully!
    I hope all goes well for her, and she gets the best treatment. Please let me know if you have any more questions-I'd be happy to help if I could.
  • westie66
    westie66 Member Posts: 642
    #7
    wdwlvr said:

    Had HIPEC
    Hi! I would definately seek a 2nd or even 3rd opinion. My oncologist basically told me there is nothing that could help-except trying a different chemo regimine. But that it wouldn't go away.
    I had also been going to another oncologist at Cancer Treatment Centers of America, and they are the ones that mentioned HIPEC. I was scared of the idea, but knew it was my only shot at every having the chance of being NED.
    I was not able to go out of stated due to my insurance, and luckily there were 2 surgeons here in AZ that could do this. I went to one at the Mayo Clinic...and SO glad I did.
    I am 34 years old, with no other health issues (other than this horrible disease of course). I was in the hospital 8 days, and did quite well considering how intense this surgery is. My surgery was 6 1/2 hours total. All my mets were confined to the peritoneal area (omentum, diaphragm,lining of liver, and pelvic area). The spots were quite small, but there. The surgeon says he got it all out, and the chemo hopefully did the rest.
    Please consider a different opinion somewhere else. If it's confined to the peritoneal area,,,,she has a MUCH better chance of ridding this disease-at least for a while, if not forever hopefully!
    I hope all goes well for her, and she gets the best treatment. Please let me know if you have any more questions-I'd be happy to help if I could.

    Peritoneum Discussion Board
    Hi: Check out the peritoneum discussion board on this website. Lots of information there. I have gallbladder cancer that spread to the peritoneum before the gallbladder, its tumour, and part of my liver were removed. So now we're working on the peritoneum tumours - I have 6 small ones. I had 12 treatments of cisplatin/gemcitibine which kind of stabilized them and have just finished 12 treatments of oxaliplatin + irenotecan + 5Fu pump + leucovin. That treatment stabilized them and even shrunk them. I am being considered for peritoneum stripping and HIPEC although there are very few surgeons in Canada who do this treatment. But it is the only way to go I fear.
    Good luck!
    Cheryl

Discussion Boards