Xeloda and new mets

Whenever you have disease progression on any chemo they consider that it is not effective and will try another regime.  I had the same problem on Xeloda.  It worked for about a year and then lung tumors progressed. I am now on Folfiri which is shrinking the tumors.  

I am not familiar with the gamma knife.  I've had ablations and Y90 for liver tumors. also had cryo ablation for one lung tumor.  

Good luck to your sister! Hope the gamma knife works for her.  

Joan M

Trying to sum it up so you can see the timeframe and relationship between various procedures.  Even though I've had several procedures, I survived and feel better now than I did 3 years ago when I was first diagnosed.    

My cancer was first seen as metastesis in my liver on an ultrasound of my abdomen, and a biopsy of liver lesions was performed first, that showed the tumors were from colon cancer.  I then had a colonoscopy and removed polyps but left the tumor.  I had a CT scan and PET scan that fpound 20 tumors spread out in both lobes of my liver, and 12 in my lungs, spread through out the lobes.  The doctors all said I was not a candidate for any surgery and would only get chemo to treat my cancer.  My oncologist said I had 6 to 18 months to live. That was really scary.  It's hard to even go back and describe the emotions I went through hearing that.  I read statistics that said only 5 % of stage 4 colon cancer patients would survive 3 years, but I was determined to fight.  I have 4 children, and several grandchildren; my youngest son was only 14 years old and a freshman in high school.  I prayed that I would be able to see him graduate from high school and become an adult.  He turns 18 this May and graduates in June!   

Next I had surgery to place a port for chemo.  Then I was on Folfox for 8 rounds of chemo.  Next I took Xeloda and Avastin for 13 months until end of August 2017 when I ended up in the hospital with gall bladder problems.   Was off chemo for several months waiting for surgeries, and healing from surgeries, etc. 

I had a microwave ablation on the left side of my liver in January 2017,a Y90 theraspheres injected into the right lobe of my liver in April 2017, a cryoablation for a tumor in the upper left lobe of my lung in September 2017, that caused my lung to collapse so I had to go in for emergency procedure to have a tube placed into the  plueral cavity to reinflate my lung.  August 2017 I ended up in the hospital due to gallbladder attack, and had emergency biliary bag inserted in through my abdominal wall to drain my gallbladder becuase they wouldn't do surgery for several weeks.  I had to wait for chemo to be out of my system so I could heal before they  attempted gallbladder surgery in November 2018,  Gallbladder was atached to duodenum due to scar tissue from procedures, so couldn't be removed.  February 2018 I was finally referred to Mayo Clinic in Rochester where I had stents placed through cystic duct to drain gallbladder into duodenum.  They had to place 2 different stents in separate operations, two weeks apart for some reason.  I also had ERCP to place stents in the common bile duct so my liver could drain.   April 2018 they found fluid in my liver and I had that drained in a separate procedure the day before my colon surgery.  a colon resection in April 2018.

I went back on chemo about 8 weeks after the surgery, but ad been off chemo for several months so I had growth in tumors in my lungs.  I've been Folfiri since June 2018. 

I had the last ERCP in December 2018 and the doctor said he was able to stretch my bile ducts so I don't need to have the stents in common bile duct anymore.  The pigtail stents will be left in the cystic duct indefinitely and may need replaced at some time in the future.  

That about sums up surgical procedures and chemo.   I hope it is helpful to your sister, if nothing else so she knows the road ahead of her may get rough, but she can survive. 

Please feel free to send a private message to me with any other questions.

Joan 

hi, so there is really a possibility that XELODA could no longer work on shrinking tumors. I had my xeloda again last jan. this year. 1st cycle was okay cea lower down from 40 to 29 but on 2nd cycle after finishing my cea went up it became 47. still i continue my xeloda up to this moment.. i had difficulty having bm but no blood. i did not go to my doctor yet because i am scared. they wanted another surgery with complete removal of my rectum where it metastisize and life time colostomy.

this is really eating the whole lot of me. i have pain only during wanting to defecate or fart. it is really difficult i have been fighting this disease for 3 years already. and i am currently in the state between fighting and giving up. 

I know what gamma knife is but my oncologist advised against it. Butt.

Joan M said:

Sylvia Mae, Sorry to hear your problems with treatment

It's a hard decision to make when they talk about the colostomy.  I have not had to face that so far. 

Have you checked out any clinical trials? 

I am praying for a cure for my stage 4 cancer.  I know some may think I'm crazy, but I read about other cancers being cured or going into long term remission even at Stage 4.  Right now they are making progress with immunotherapy for those wieh Microsatelite instability.  I think they are close to figuring out how to get beat the Microsatelite stable type also.  

not yet i did not return to my doctor yet. but still i continue the xeloda after i finish maybe il come back and talk to her. i have been experiencing wanting to defecate and bloating during xeloda treatment. and it does really hurt my stomach and no apetite at all but i tried my very hard to eat at least small amount of food.

good luck to us! believing in MIRACLES and CHANCES of surviving in GOD'S WILL.