Good News and Questions

SilentRenegade
SilentRenegade Member Posts: 123
in Colorectal Cancer #1

Had an appointment today with the new oncologist. My dad had a CT scan yesterday and it showed that his colon/rectum show no evidence of tumors (2 years!), just some diverticulitis, and the thyroid area still is tumor free (6 months). MRI of the brain confirmed that he just has some slight residual damage from the radiation and old evidence of a seizure and stroke (3 months). So, that radiation works very well for him... 

He hasn't been on any type of systematic treatment or chemo since August 2015, so his lungs and liver have had time to progress. Liver isn't too bad - one larger tumor about 4cm and 3 or 4 small tumors. Lungs are a little bad, and have gotten worse since March. They are putting him on Stivarga to see how that works.

Does anybody have experience with this? This is temporary to see how it works until the rest of his genetic testing comes back on his tumors so they can begin to look at immunotherapies and the like. Wish we would have gone to this place sooner... the old place only looked at his KRAS mutation. 

ALSO - sudden confusion may not be brain tumors... but a UTI. That happened too, and it was the shortest hospital stay he's had... less than 2 hours from the door. 

Comments

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #2
    Good scan news

    I am happy to hear that your dad's CT scan showed NED.  

    I have also heard about UTI's causing confusion. It must be so frightening though, especially with his previous treatments.

    Several members here have been on Stivarga. Here's hoping it hits hard those liver and lung tumours. 

    Love your avatar! Are you the bride and is that your dad and mum? 

    SUE

  • SilentRenegade
    SilentRenegade Member Posts: 123
    #3
    Trubrit said:

    Good scan news

    I am happy to hear that your dad's CT scan showed NED.  

    I have also heard about UTI's causing confusion. It must be so frightening though, especially with his previous treatments.

    Several members here have been on Stivarga. Here's hoping it hits hard those liver and lung tumours. 

    Love your avatar! Are you the bride and is that your dad and mum? 

    SUE

    I called the oncologist today

    I called the oncologist today because I was worried after reading about it, but he said the benefits outweigh the risk. He also said that's why hes starting him on 3 pills a day, not 4, so I am hoping it works on the last bit! 

    My profile is exactly as you said - he was going through radiation and chemo at this time. 

  • JanJan63
    JanJan63 Member Posts: 2,478 Member
    #4
    I have no experience about

    I have no experience about the treatment, sorry. I just wanted to say that I've hard of that a few times in older people. They get UTIs and end up have symptoms like dementia. I hope this will work great for your dad!

    Jan

  • SilentRenegade
    SilentRenegade Member Posts: 123
    edited June 2016 #5
    JanJan63 said:

    I have no experience about

    I have no experience about the treatment, sorry. I just wanted to say that I've hard of that a few times in older people. They get UTIs and end up have symptoms like dementia. I hope this will work great for your dad!

    Jan

    Yeah. It can especially get

    Yeah. It can especially get bad if they don't tell you for a month. Now it's just trying to get him to eat. He hates all food it seems.

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