Bad news

tko683
tko683 Member Posts: 264 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hi everyone! My husband just finished chemo/rads for stage 4 rectal cancer. He had his liver resection in November of 2011. His rectal surgery was going to be next week. Unfortunately, the Pet scan that he had last week shows 5 new lessions in his liver and his cea is up to 10. We are so disappointed, thought he was going to have this next surgery and be on the road to recovery and now somehow the damm cancer is back in his liver in 4 months. They are going to switch him to FOLFIRI plus a targeted therapy. He did well with the FOLFOX but it didn't shrink all his tumors so they want to try something different. I wonder how bad is FOLFIRI vs. FOLFOX. Is it about the same symptoms or worse? We are both feeling so defeated right now....just so tired of cancer and everything about it. Just had to vent. Any advice about FOLFIRI would be appreciated. Best wishes to you all. Hugs, Teri

Comments

  • jjaj133
    jjaj133 Member Posts: 867 Member
    #2
    Hi Teri. I can't give you
    Hi Teri. I can't give you any advice about the chemo. But I wanted to tell you how sorry I am the news was not better. I have had 2 liver resections and will have a ct scan 4/16. I appreciate how disgusted you are and can only tell you to hang on. Its all we can do. Vent away, this is the place for it. We all need to so we can keep going.
    good Luck and will be sending prayers.
    Judy
  • taraHK
    taraHK Member Posts: 1,952 Member
    #3
    FOLFIRI
    Sorry to hear the news. But good that there is another chemo regime they are suggesting right away. I have been on both FOLFOX and FOLFIRI. I found the FOLFIRI much easier to tolerate (none of those oxy symptoms!). I did loose my hair -- which I hadn't on FOLFOX. Some people have some serious issues with diarrhea -- I didn't, but it needs to be monitored carefully. I also did Xeliri -- which uses Xeloda (a pill) instead of 5FU (the 48 hr drip). I liked the convenience -- but the xeloda was hard on my feet. Don't know if that is an option you want to consider/explore.

    AND -- vent away! That's why we are all here for each other....

    Tara
  • bspangler47
    bspangler47 Member Posts: 145
    #4
    taraHK said:

    FOLFIRI
    Sorry to hear the news. But good that there is another chemo regime they are suggesting right away. I have been on both FOLFOX and FOLFIRI. I found the FOLFIRI much easier to tolerate (none of those oxy symptoms!). I did loose my hair -- which I hadn't on FOLFOX. Some people have some serious issues with diarrhea -- I didn't, but it needs to be monitored carefully. I also did Xeliri -- which uses Xeloda (a pill) instead of 5FU (the 48 hr drip). I liked the convenience -- but the xeloda was hard on my feet. Don't know if that is an option you want to consider/explore.

    AND -- vent away! That's why we are all here for each other....

    Tara

    Teri Vent
    Hi Teri, I really dont no about the FOLFIRI, I was on FOLFOX/5FU. I know its hard but stay postive. I will be praying for you both. Vent away with us all, it is frustating.

    Barbara
  • janie1
    janie1 Member Posts: 753 Member
    #5
    bspangler47 said:

    Teri Vent
    Hi Teri, I really dont no about the FOLFIRI, I was on FOLFOX/5FU. I know its hard but stay postive. I will be praying for you both. Vent away with us all, it is frustating.

    Barbara

    folfiri
    Folfiri is different for everyone. I am on it and it isn't bad. The first time I had diarrhea, but then no real significant bowel issues. I experimented with food. Whatever I could tolerate I figured the more nutrients I could get in. I hoped I could eat more than just the BRAT diet. Now, except for the chemo days, I can eat anything, and try to make it as nutritious as possible. I eat a lot of raw stuff. The big perk, no cooking is involved. But, for some people eating fiber may be out of the question.

    I, too, had huge liver surgery in Jan. I have new spot on liver (may or may not be cancer....but assuming it is). Also, while all of the tumors were removed, there are many times that cells are still there, and those just can't all be removed by surgery. So, many people have more than 1 resection. Some have more than 2. Also, sometimes, other than having another surgery, they may ablate (RFA) some tumors.
    That's probably what I will have done next time. Then, who knows what? Another surgery, another ablation or 2?
    I know what you mean, it is draining.

    Teri, what does your doctor mean by "more targeted therapy"? Do they mean erbitux, or avastin, or something else (like chemoembolization). It would be important to know what that is, so you (and we) can understand more what the plan of action is.

    I know it's extremely frustrating, but almost always there are setbacks. In the scope of things, your husband really hasn't had too much chemo to date, so there's still a lot of time for that to go to work. Not what any of us want to do, but it's one of those things.
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    #6
    Hi Teri
    I feel your frustration. And Vent Away!!!
    So they are postponing his surgery until they deal with the new liver spots. I have not done FOLFIRI but I did FOLFOX when I started this. I think others gave some very good input as what he might expect with it. There are other ways to shrink the tumors like Erbitux and Avastin and there's HAI pump therapy too.
    Fighting cancer often is a series of ups and downs. Regroup then move forward.
    -phil
  • Erinb
    Erinb Member Posts: 293
    #7
    Hi Teri,
    My husband was on
    Hi Teri,
    My husband was on Folfox, Folfiri+Erbitux+ Avastin, Folfiri without the 5FU pump Folfox+Avastin, Now 5FU with Avastin. Anyway the folfiri was OK. He was on a lot of other chemo drugs with it and had issues with low blood counts and needed nuelasta shots, couldn't eat for a few days, lost a lot of weight and had diahrea often then constipation and he also took lomotil with it to keep the diarhea under control. He was getting infusions every week and it was just too much with the side effects of Erbitux on top of it. I hope you do well with it.
    Erin
  • tko683
    tko683 Member Posts: 264 Member
    #8
    Erinb said:

    Hi Teri,
    My husband was on
    Hi Teri,
    My husband was on Folfox, Folfiri+Erbitux+ Avastin, Folfiri without the 5FU pump Folfox+Avastin, Now 5FU with Avastin. Anyway the folfiri was OK. He was on a lot of other chemo drugs with it and had issues with low blood counts and needed nuelasta shots, couldn't eat for a few days, lost a lot of weight and had diahrea often then constipation and he also took lomotil with it to keep the diarhea under control. He was getting infusions every week and it was just too much with the side effects of Erbitux on top of it. I hope you do well with it.
    Erin

    folfiri plus eributux(sp?)
    Thanks for your replies. It is always nice to know what to expect because many times the doctors don't tell you everything. I appreciate everyone sharing experiences. I understand the up and down world of cancer all to well just don't like it! I have been there before myself and did not think I would have to watch my husband go through it also and especially watch our children deal with this for the second time. It just seems that life is so unfair. After hearing that this chemo works for so many, Jennie that is an amazing story, I am encouraged that my husband will also have success with folfiri. Phil, yes they cancelled the surgery to deal with the new liver lesions so it seems the radiation was a waste..... Thanks, best wishes to you all.
  • John23
    John23 Member Posts: 2,122 Member
    #9
    tko683 said:

    folfiri plus eributux(sp?)
    Thanks for your replies. It is always nice to know what to expect because many times the doctors don't tell you everything. I appreciate everyone sharing experiences. I understand the up and down world of cancer all to well just don't like it! I have been there before myself and did not think I would have to watch my husband go through it also and especially watch our children deal with this for the second time. It just seems that life is so unfair. After hearing that this chemo works for so many, Jennie that is an amazing story, I am encouraged that my husband will also have success with folfiri. Phil, yes they cancelled the surgery to deal with the new liver lesions so it seems the radiation was a waste..... Thanks, best wishes to you all.

    Teri -

    There's always TCM for consideration!!

    Be well; my best to you and yours!

    John

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