My father was just diagnosed with stage iv colon with many liver mets

gtrman1971
gtrman1971 Member Posts: 2
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Is there any hope? He is only 64 and he just had part of the colon removed and they said there are over a dozen mets all over his liver and even a small area on his left lung that looks like it could be related. We havent met with the onc yet but am looking for any sign of hope. Any thoughts or experiences?

Comments

  • rthornton
    rthornton Member Posts: 346 Member
    #2
    It's interesting because that sounds so similar to my diagnosis in May of 2005, although I was younger than your father (I was 35 years old when diagnosed). I had two large tumors in my colon, multiple liver mets and a lesion on my left lung, but it was never actually confirmed that the lung lesion was cancer. Anyway, there were enough liver mets that I was not a candidate for liver surgery, so I had my entire colon removed and then started chemotherapy to address the liver and left lung (5FU + Oxaliplatin + Avastin). I had a CT/PET scan after six chemotherapy cycles and was in complete remission. I had a recurrence in my liver last July, but that time it was resectable and so I had the right side of my liver removed. As of my last CT/PET, a couple of weeks ago, I was NED (no evidence of disease). That is what happened with me after a diagnosis very similar to that of your father, so I would say that there is definitely hope for him.

    Good luck with it all. There are many approaches to fighting this disease, and therefore many reasons to be hopeful.

    Rodney
  • hopefulone
    hopefulone Member Posts: 1,043 Member
    #3
    Hi. There is always hope. My husband is in similar situation with 5-7 liver mets, had colon resection and currently on chemo treatment #3 . His liver mets are showing signs of shrinkage. We are hopeful there will be other options such as resection/radio freq ablation/or cryosurgery if the mets continue to shrink. Research all options so you know what to talk to the onc about and you'll know what they are talking about. Rfa can also sometimes be done on the lung. There have been many advances in recent years. Don't pay attention to statistics. Each individual is different. Come here often for support. It's a great site with great people who will share their experience with you . God Bless and keep the faith.
  • nudgie
    nudgie Member Posts: 1,478 Member
    #4
    Welcome to most supportive and understanding family you will find on the Internet. I am sooo sorry to hear the news about your Dad. I am assuming that the surgeon sent the tumor off to get biospied and that a path report is pending. The path report will state what type of cancer, stage of cancer, how many lymph nodes were involved (if nodes were removed) and where is spread in the body. This report is used by the doctors to determine what course of treatment.

    When your father sees the Onc Doc don't be afraid to ask questions whether they are stupid or not. Also taking charge of his treatment is very important. Don't always place yourself in the hands of a doctor. As a person, you are the only one that knows how your body is performing and functioning.

    May God if you and your family the guidance and strength you so deserve.

    PLEASE KEEP US POSTED AND PROVIDE ALL UPDATES!!!!
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #5
    I was only Stage III, but I am a patient partner for many stage IV's. One in particular, I will share:
    He was dx'ed in October 2006...went in with obstruction to ER....
    Subsequent tests found 1 large tumor on his colon, 9 lesions on liver, suspected lymph nodes involvement. Not a surgical candidate. VERY agressive chemo for 2 months won him a surgery chance. 12" of colon, 60% of his liver (this grows back, amazingly), his gall bladder, and many lymph nodes removed. Deemed cancer free. That was January 2007. It's April. He has been back to work part time, feeling better everyday.

    HOPE is a wonderful thing. Mixed in with a spirit that HATES to LOSE!!!

    Hugs, Kathi
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #6
    rthornton said:

    It's interesting because that sounds so similar to my diagnosis in May of 2005, although I was younger than your father (I was 35 years old when diagnosed). I had two large tumors in my colon, multiple liver mets and a lesion on my left lung, but it was never actually confirmed that the lung lesion was cancer. Anyway, there were enough liver mets that I was not a candidate for liver surgery, so I had my entire colon removed and then started chemotherapy to address the liver and left lung (5FU + Oxaliplatin + Avastin). I had a CT/PET scan after six chemotherapy cycles and was in complete remission. I had a recurrence in my liver last July, but that time it was resectable and so I had the right side of my liver removed. As of my last CT/PET, a couple of weeks ago, I was NED (no evidence of disease). That is what happened with me after a diagnosis very similar to that of your father, so I would say that there is definitely hope for him.

    Good luck with it all. There are many approaches to fighting this disease, and therefore many reasons to be hopeful.

    Rodney

    Rodney,
    YEA YEA YEA YEA YEA YEA YEA!!!

    Naked happy dance for your NED!!!!

    (Did you think I would MISS it??????.....NO WAY!!! hehehehehe)

    Hugs, Kathi
  • vinny3
    vinny3 Member Posts: 928 Member
    #7
    There is definitely hope for your father. There are many Stage IV survivors here. I am the same age as your father. I was just Stage II but had a recurrance so have had several surgeries, bouts of chemo and radiation. Your father can get through it and have a positive life.

    ****
  • gtrman1971
    gtrman1971 Member Posts: 2
    #8
    Thank you so much for your replies. It is lifting my spirits. I just got on here for the first time last nite and it is a wonderful site. Good luck to you all, you all sound like great people. I'll check back often and give you updates. Thanks again,

    Steve
  • Betsydoglover
    Betsydoglover Member Posts: 1,248 Member
    #9
    Hi - My situation was different - liver met, but not so many, but I was diagnosed in 5/05 at age 55 (younger than your father, but not like the young Rodney). I had a sigmoid colectomy and then 6 cycles of chemo - I was no evidence of disease (NED) after the second treatment. I have been NED since then - my most recent PET and CT scans being last week.

    So, there is hope.

    Your father has several mets, but if chemo treatments could do what they did for me, then they can do the same for your father. And if chemo even just eliminates some mets / shrinks others, then liver resection / radio frequency ablation (RFA) become possibilities.

    So, keep up the hope - don't pay attention to statistics and keep asking your fathers oncologist questions until you are satisfied you are are getting good treatment.

    Let us all know how the first oncologist meeting goes.

    Take care,
    Betsy
  • spongebob
    spongebob Member Posts: 2,565 Member
    #10
    rthornton said:

    It's interesting because that sounds so similar to my diagnosis in May of 2005, although I was younger than your father (I was 35 years old when diagnosed). I had two large tumors in my colon, multiple liver mets and a lesion on my left lung, but it was never actually confirmed that the lung lesion was cancer. Anyway, there were enough liver mets that I was not a candidate for liver surgery, so I had my entire colon removed and then started chemotherapy to address the liver and left lung (5FU + Oxaliplatin + Avastin). I had a CT/PET scan after six chemotherapy cycles and was in complete remission. I had a recurrence in my liver last July, but that time it was resectable and so I had the right side of my liver removed. As of my last CT/PET, a couple of weeks ago, I was NED (no evidence of disease). That is what happened with me after a diagnosis very similar to that of your father, so I would say that there is definitely hope for him.

    Good luck with it all. There are many approaches to fighting this disease, and therefore many reasons to be hopeful.

    Rodney

    Rodney - DUDE! - That's AWESOME!! Congrats!!!

    I'm doing a happy dance for you, too (although not naked like Kathi M - if you want naked, you'll have to break out the dollar bills, bro!)

    There ya go, gtrman1971, LIVING proof that there is hope. I can tell you this, attitude is 80% of the cure.
  • scouty
    scouty Member Posts: 1,965 Member
    #11
    Steve,

    As you can see ABSOLUTELY there is hope!

    In 2004 at the age of 49, I was dxed with stage IV rectal cancer, mets to my liver and left lung. The scans showed 3 mets to the liver and one mass in my left lung. Like Rodney, no biopsy was done on the lung but the ones they could do on my liver (only 2 of the "spots" were reachable) confirmed the spread.

    Surgery was not an option for me so I started chemo, Folfox (5FU, Oxilaplatin, and Leucovorin)along with Avastin. I did chemo for 8 months but just before my cancer dx my colon perforated and I almost died of acute peritonitis (yes those docs missed my cancer), so the side effects of the chemo impacted me more then most. I stopped it, completely changed my diet, started juicing, and taking supplements with the help of a local Naturopathic Doctor. I am now NED (no evidence of disease) and have been almost 2 1/2 years since I stopped chemo. You have to be NED 5 years before the insurance companies consider you cancer free.

    I hope you are starting to realize there are many options and ways to fight the **** cells. Keep us posted and ask any and all questions you may have.

    Lisa P.
  • 2bhealed
    2bhealed Member Posts: 2,064 Member
    #12
    hi there,

    There is always hope. That's the one thing that I believe most of us cling to daily no matter what our dx or treatment plan.

    I was Stage III with lymph involvement (so no mets) and hope is what keeps me going. I would surround your father with hope, feed him daily doses of hope, keep the negative energies away from him, and just heap hope! I believe when one gives up hope then the end is near.

    One important aspect to healing colon cancer is with diet and exercise. My experience with oncologists is that they don't give much info in this area, but there is so much your father can do.

    Cancer feeds on sugar so taking that out of his diet will give his immune system a major boost. It's important to STARVE the cancer so removing it's food source is a wise move.

    Live Enzymes are a healing aspect of food which you get in raw foods--especially veggies--and juicing organic fresh veggies is the best way to get an abundance of the live enzymes. These are the repair and restore buggers who will help your father's body to heal. Eating veggies is always a good idea, but juicing them gives you optimal nutrition in an easy to assimilate form. Juicing basically predigests the nutrients so your body doesn't have to work so hard to extricate the nutrients from the fiberous veggies.

    Well, this may be more than you asked for...... :-) But this can give your father hope!

    I have been cancer free for 5 years and 8 months and I continue to hope to remain that way.

    peace, emily whose favorite hopeful scripture is: " 'But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,' declares the Lord."
    Jeremiah 30:17
  • cindyfug
    cindyfug Member Posts: 2
    #13
    There is always hope. I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colorectal Cancer in Nov. of '05. There were too many mets on the liver to count with shadows in both lungs. After chemo and radiation I am now in remission with a CEA of less than .5 which is perfectly normal. At the time of my diagnosis I did not have surgery as they considered it inoperable as it was too far advanced. I am now on chemotherapy pills and might always be but thats okay. Many people live with incurable diseases every day and have great lives. Think positive - chemo is very hard but take one day at a time. I recently celebrated my 50th birthday and I plan on many more. Not bad for someone who was given an 8% chance to live. I am here if you have any questions or just want to talk.
  • abhishek
    abhishek Member Posts: 1
    #14
    cindyfug said:

    There is always hope. I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colorectal Cancer in Nov. of '05. There were too many mets on the liver to count with shadows in both lungs. After chemo and radiation I am now in remission with a CEA of less than .5 which is perfectly normal. At the time of my diagnosis I did not have surgery as they considered it inoperable as it was too far advanced. I am now on chemotherapy pills and might always be but thats okay. Many people live with incurable diseases every day and have great lives. Think positive - chemo is very hard but take one day at a time. I recently celebrated my 50th birthday and I plan on many more. Not bad for someone who was given an 8% chance to live. I am here if you have any questions or just want to talk.

    can we chat??

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