Stage 2A colon cancer Chemo or Surveillance?

I started off Stage III B, so I won't be too helpful.  

I did have a recurrance, and now Stage IV and NED FIVE years next month. 

I had surgery, Chemo FOLFOX & 5FU followed by Radiation & 5FU.  

My Oncologist decided to watch and wait after my Liver surgery, and so far so good. 

I wish you the best as you make decisions. 

Others will be along soon, with more helpful information. The weekends can be slow around here. 

tru

I'm not sure what my staging was but my radiologist once told me that Stage 2 people have the hardest time as they aren't right for treatment or no treatment.  He also commented on a person that was stage 2 that elected no "mop up" chemo and it came back with a venegence and that person died within a year after the cancer came back.  When two doctors told me what my "cocktail" would be that they thought would give me the best outcome to me there was no hesitation because at 50 my life seemed that it needed to be longer than that.  This year I'll be 61 and I'm not saying because my mop up treatment was the reason I'm here but it sure helped me.  It's up to you and the decision you need to make.  Wishing you well.

Ki,

airborne72 said:

Just Like You...

My rectal cancer was stage 2.  I completed the neoadjuvant chemo and radiation therapy, underwent the resection surgery, and then impatiently lived with an ileostomy while waiting for my colon to normalize.  My surgical pathology report indicated that I had a complete response to the neoadjuvant chemo and radiation.  The surgeon saw no evidence of cancer.  He took 4 lymph nodes and they were all benign. 

That's when my oncologist wanted to discuss adjuvant chemo therapy.  He clearly explained that stage 2 CRC is "on the bubble" regarding the necessity of adjuvant chemo.  He was honest with me and did not tell me what to do.  Instead, he used the phrase "it only takes one cell" to escape/survive and then metastisize.  Just like you, I presented my situation to this forum seeking advice.  Finally, I made my decision, but it had a caveat to it.

The standard regimen for adjuvant chemo therapy using FOLFOX6 has been 12 sessions.  I had researched the efficacy of this and discovered that there was, and still is, a differing of opinion among the ranks of oncologists.  The argument was that after 6 sessions of the treatment, the benefits are statistically unchanged.  In otherwords, 6 treatments very well may be all that is necessary. 

I discussed this with my oncologist and he was in agreement, so I made the decision to proceed with only 6 sessions of adjuvant chemo therapy.  But, and I was upfront about this, I reserved the right to stop the treatments at any time if I felt like it was not beneficial for my health.  He agreed and I submitted to the chemo.  However, I stopped after 3 treatments.  My weight was dropping at a steady and unheathly rate; my energy level was very low; and the neuropathy was beginning to hang around longer and longer after each session.

It was a tough decision to initiate the adjuvant chemo and it was a tough decision to stop it.  That "it only takes one cell" phrase was always in the back of my mind, but what was ever-present in my mind was the fact that the chemo was literally taking me down.  I decided to take my chances and not complete the adjuvant chemo.  My last infusion was in late December 2017.  Since then I have had three CT scans, with the most recent just last week, and I am NED.

This disease is horrible.  Its treatment is similarly horrible, including the after-affects. I was 66 when I was diagnosed.  My place-in-life was a signficant factor in my decision - quality of life versus quantity of life.

I wish you courage in your decision.  But moreso, peace of mind once you decide.

Jim

 

Congratulations on your latest clear scan, Jim.

I was diagnosed with 2a  2 1/2 years ago.  I chose not to have additional chemotherapy.  So far so good but have a scan coming up and that always makes me nervous.  I think my oncologist was quite surprised by my decision.  However when she said there was no guarantee it wouldn't come back even with the chemo.  I hope I don't eventually regret it.  Good luck to you.  I know it's an agonizing choice but you make your decision and don't look back.