stage IV 's please help

oneagleswings · August 2005

If you have a minute and are stage IV can you please let me know what treatment you are on (or were on) and for how long have you been on the treatment- and how long since your diagnosis....I am trying to make some sense out of my husbands latest diagnosis of going from stage 3 to stage IV..Thank you so much
Bev

deneenb · August 2005

Bev,

My Dad was on the Folfox4 regimen with Avastin for 6 months and in the Dr's words, he had a phenomenal response to it. He remained NED for 6 months following treatment but we found out last month that it is back. He is currently on the Folfox6 regimen with Avastin and he is having scans today to see if it is working.

Best Wishes,
Deneen

pjenks57 · August 2005

Bev. Sorry to hear about your hubby. My husband was dx in Sept 2003 and began chemo on Oct 21, 2003. The day after our daughters 8th birthday. He had mets to liver and lung and neither are oppearable. He has been on about every type of chemo they have available since then. They all seem to work well for a time and then we have to switch to something else either because his body doesn't respond or he gets so down that he can't take any more. He has been off a week here and there but mostly he has been on chemo for almost 2 years.

It has been a long long and very trying road but we are on it together as I can see you and your hubby are. We have found a lot of faith in God from this ordeal and know that He will take care of us.

One other thing that I have found is that I have to stop feeling guilty, helpless, hopeless. I have to find time to do things for myself and our daughter. Don't give up and don't forget YOU.

mikew42 · August 2005

Bev,
Sorry to hear of the upgrade from 3 to 4. I was dx stage 4 in Feb. '04 with 3 mets to liver. Had FOLFIRI with Avastin for 7 months and was pronounced metabolic remisssion (nothing showed on PET scan but still showed on CT). Had RFA in October '04 to zap what showed on CT and and have been NED since. Out of curiosity, what is the reason for the upgrade from 3 to 4? Mike

jana11 · August 2005

Hi. I was originally stage 3; diagnosed 11/02. Started with radiation + xeloda, then surgery, then given xeloda + CPT 11. About a year later (4/04) I developed a single lung met. I became stage 4, with NED after the thoracotomy. Next course of chemo was xeloda + oxaliplatin. My onc and I decided avastin wasn't necessary.

My last surgery was 5/04... and I continue to play the waiting game with my next scan mid September. I did really well through all my treatments, but surgery took serious healing. I feel great now and work out >4x/wk.

Hope this all helps. Keep up the fight. jana

rthornton · August 2005

Hi. I was diagnosed with stage IV in May, and had my colon removed which left five liver mets. Currently I am getting 5FU + Oxaliplatin + Avastin (and a few other drugs for things like anti-nausea, etc). The infusions last three days and I have to be admitted to the hospital each time. I go in this Wednesday for cycle #6, and then scans to see how it's going.

I wish your husband the best. There are plenty of success stories from former stage IV patients.

Rodney

livin · August 2005

Hi Bev. I was dx with colon cancer 2 pos nodes in 2001 had 5 fu leuco and radation. NED really 1 year because I found out in 2004 that I had a mass on my liver that was apparently -possibly showing up on the cat scan back in 2003 but was never followed up as recommended by the report I seen from the radiologist. In 2004 had liver resection large single tumor on lower right lobe of liver, started on Folfox for 6 months and Avastin added later due to I had one of the possible side effects a perforated bowel that I received from a Colonoscopy with dialation and my Doctor wasn't sure if I could receive it. At present Iam NED. This is my 3rd Ned---Thank God. I had Breast Cancer 1999 Colon Cancer 2001 and Colon Cancer that metastize(sp) to my Liver 2004. Just Glad to be here. Livin

goldfinch · August 2005

I was diagnosed stage 3 rectal ca july 2003. Chemo (5 FU), radiation, followed by surgery and more chemo (5 FU). 3 months after i finished treatment diagnosed with stage 4-several small nodules to the lungs. I've been on folfiri and avastin. Been on a break since july. Size of nodules haven't changed either way (perhaps a bit smaller, but they are so small to start with they say it's hard to tell). Onc calls it "stable disease". Cat Scan scheduled for early oct to see what's happening.
Mary

Betsydoglover · August 2005

Hi Bev -

I was diagnosed with colon cancer (large tumor in sigmoid colon) on 5/25. On June 7th I had a laparoscopic colectomy wherein they also biopsied the liver. Biopsy came back positive, so my diagnosis became Stage 4 that day.

In July, prior to starting chemo, I had a PET scan and it showed an area of hypermetabolic activity on the periphery of the right lobe of liver - the biopsy area. Nothing relevant showed on CT.

I am on Xeloda (oral 5-FU), Oxaliplatin and Avastin - on a 3 week cycle. This past Monday I completed my 3rd cycle.

The great news is that last Friday (end of 2nd cycle) I had another PET and it is all clear! So, the chemo is working. I will probably have 4 - 6 chemo cycles total (discussion with doc next week will decide the number) and then continue with Avastin alone for a while. But I guess I am living proof that these drugs can work really well and you should not give up hope because of the stage 4 diagnosis.

Hope this helps.

Betsy

nanuk · September 2005

Now I'll bet your are really confused; different strokes for different folks...we all seem to react differently. I think part of it is the location of the mets, and the rest is just up to God..I see so many different responses to chemo tx, it makes my head spin. For one, I would love to see someone organize all the data and make some sense of it statistically. Where are his mets? And do you have a second opinion? Bud

stage IV 's please help

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