Cure Possible After Colon Cancer Spread to Liver

Nana b
Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1
Cure Possible After Colon Cancer Spread to Liver
Monday January 24, 2011

Receiving news that you have colon cancer that has spread to your liver is something nobody should have to go through. And many people who get this news have a horror story of well meaning, but insensitive friends or family members who bring up the statistics about "nobody" surviving once they have metastatic cancer, which is cancer that has spread beyond the place where it started.

Now, a new research paper shares the latest data on survival after colon cancer has spread to the liver. It gives reason for hope, and shows that people can be cured, even after having colon cancer in the liver.

The study showed that of the people with liver metastasis (no spread to bone or other organs) who undergo surgery to remove the colon cancer growths from the liver, 34% will live at least five years. Even more encouraging is that of the 34% of people who live at least five years after surgery, half will go on to live 10 or more years and be cured of colon cancer liver metastasis.

These numbers may sound dismal to anyone who doesn't have colon cancer, and certainly, we need more and better treatments to bring that cure rate to 100%. But the fact that a significant portion of people survive a disease that was once considered a death sentence, is incredibly encouraging.






http://coloncancer.about.com/b/2011/01/24/cure-possible-after-colon-cancer-spread-to-liver.htm
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Comments

  • sfan428
    sfan428 Member Posts: 32 Member
    #2
    Well, 34% is certainly
    Well, 34% is certainly better than the 5-9% that the Dr. gave me when I was diagnosed. Thanks for posting this, will definately help boost morale.
  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    #3
    sfan428 said:

    Well, 34% is certainly
    Well, 34% is certainly better than the 5-9% that the Dr. gave me when I was diagnosed. Thanks for posting this, will definately help boost morale.

    It boosted mine! Take care
    It boosted mine! Take care of yourself, a cure is possible!!
  • damama24
    damama24 Member Posts: 174 Member
    #4
    Nana b said:

    It boosted mine! Take care
    It boosted mine! Take care of yourself, a cure is possible!!

    Cure Possible
    It was good to read this and hear that cure is possible. For those who are able to have surgery this should give them a boost. For those of us who have been told surgery is not possible we hold out hope for new treatments or drugs that will keep us stable for as long as possible. Hoping that everyone who has surgery comes through with flying colors and one day hears those words "cancer free".
    Deb
  • Sundanceh
    Sundanceh Member Posts: 4,392 Member
    #5
    Odds and Percentages
    Well then I'm 34% of the 5-year plan - I've made 3 years since the liver...now if I could just get this junk out of my lungs.

    I always found those to be sobering odds - I used to look at a case of water and pick out 8 bottles that you would drink, that was 33%, which were the odds in 2007, glad they went up a percentile.

    If I make Christmas 2012, then I can hang this one on the wall as a victory.

    -Craig
  • C Dixon
    C Dixon Member Posts: 201
    #6
    Sundanceh said:

    Odds and Percentages
    Well then I'm 34% of the 5-year plan - I've made 3 years since the liver...now if I could just get this junk out of my lungs.

    I always found those to be sobering odds - I used to look at a case of water and pick out 8 bottles that you would drink, that was 33%, which were the odds in 2007, glad they went up a percentile.

    If I make Christmas 2012, then I can hang this one on the wall as a victory.

    -Craig

    You will
    Make Christmas 2012, Craig!

    Catherine
  • lagwag
    lagwag Member Posts: 76 Member
    #7
    Thank you for posting :-)

    Thank you for posting :-)
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    #8
    Good Data
    I think this shows how lacking current survival information has been for many of us. When I was first dx 7 years ago, I think the current stats were around 5% for 5 year survival. This does seem to be more right on. For the newly diagnosed who Google colon cancer hopefully this will show up instead of the older data and give them more hope than what many of us first heard. I do think there's been a 3-4 year lag in gathering the data from the clinical trials. it's good to see progress being made.
  • Friendinpenn
    Friendinpenn Member Posts: 70
    #9
    Thanks for your post
    I am one of these "stats" Thanks for posting...
  • tootsie1
    tootsie1 Member Posts: 5,044 Member
    #10
    Sounds good
    What a morale booster to share!

    *hugs*
    Gail
  • pete43lost_at_sea
    pete43lost_at_sea Member Posts: 3,900 Member
    #11
    Sundanceh said:

    Odds and Percentages
    Well then I'm 34% of the 5-year plan - I've made 3 years since the liver...now if I could just get this junk out of my lungs.

    I always found those to be sobering odds - I used to look at a case of water and pick out 8 bottles that you would drink, that was 33%, which were the odds in 2007, glad they went up a percentile.

    If I make Christmas 2012, then I can hang this one on the wall as a victory.

    -Craig

    stuff the odds, you are already a winner to me
    keep on making those great big posts.
    pete
  • buttons1
    buttons1 Member Posts: 22
    #12
    Sundanceh said:

    Odds and Percentages
    Well then I'm 34% of the 5-year plan - I've made 3 years since the liver...now if I could just get this junk out of my lungs.

    I always found those to be sobering odds - I used to look at a case of water and pick out 8 bottles that you would drink, that was 33%, which were the odds in 2007, glad they went up a percentile.

    If I make Christmas 2012, then I can hang this one on the wall as a victory.

    -Craig

    you are inspireing, thanks to people like you. [your honesty an
    oops i dont know how to use this site very good yet, i just started. after reading your story i relized that you have alot in common with my brother, who is also stage 4 colon cancer ,liver ,lungs, we are scared, every day that goes by we still dont know what to expect, his is on erbitux now 2 full years of chemo non stop, still the tumers are growing and spreading, but he continues to do it, now he is severly dehydrated and weak, diareah and vomiting for four days now.. i dont know what to do.. any advise? he is so quiet and holds everything inside.. hard to talk to him. thank you and god bless you.
  • coloCan
    coloCan Member Posts: 1,944 Member
    #13
    tootsie1 said:

    Sounds good
    What a morale booster to share!

    *hugs*
    Gail

    I think the figures are even better......This study concerned
    people who had been operated on between 1991 and 2005.....As since, lets say,from the late 1990s a few newer drugs have come on line for CRC, as have improvments in radiation treatment, I would hazard a guess that those in this study who were operated on at the tail end of the timeframe involved showed even greater improvement........
  • pattyspals
    pattyspals Member Posts: 12
    #14
    Heck Ya
    I just read this and wow that is just such great news. I hope that 34% becomes 44%, then 54% and so on and so forth....
  • Jane822
    Jane822 Member Posts: 50
    #15
    Odds improve every day
    When I was first diagnosed (Stage 4) with mets to the liver in July 2009, I was told the odds were 5 years.........I had a liver resection this past fall and the surgeon told me I had added another 60% to those odds. Each step we take gets us that much closer. Faith and Hope.
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #16
    Sundanceh said:

    Odds and Percentages
    Well then I'm 34% of the 5-year plan - I've made 3 years since the liver...now if I could just get this junk out of my lungs.

    I always found those to be sobering odds - I used to look at a case of water and pick out 8 bottles that you would drink, that was 33%, which were the odds in 2007, glad they went up a percentile.

    If I make Christmas 2012, then I can hang this one on the wall as a victory.

    -Craig

    Craig
    My very dear friend,
    No "If's" no and's or but's, you'll be here for Christmas 2012. Theses odds are even old odds, so the odds are even better yet today.
    And as you know you were an "odds" beater from the very beginning.
    I think of you every day, and especially last couple of days over the cold you all have been suffering, (hmm, should that have been "ya'll"?).
    Love at you,
    Winter Marie
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #17
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • pete43lost_at_sea
    pete43lost_at_sea Member Posts: 3,900 Member
    #18
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    love milk thistle as well
    good post

    cheers,
    pete
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #19
    pete43lost_at_sea said:

    love milk thistle as well
    good post

    cheers,
    pete

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • Vickilg
    Vickilg Member Posts: 281 Member
    #20
    My Doctors Are Positive
    Hi there... I was diagnosed with Stage IV Rectal with met of one spot to Liver. I just had my rectum removed completely becuase the cancer had come back after a year. At the same time I had a liver resection. I will be following up with 6 months of chemo to make sure there are no cancer cells lurking in my body. The surgeon removed the rectum because that was the source of the persistent tumor and she wants to make sure it doesn't come back. The liver surgeon said that even if after chemo a cancer cell grows in the liver that treatment has progressed so much that they will be able to take care of it again. Both surgeons have told me that I am cancer free and to enjoy life. They have truly made me feel that I have beat this but just in case it comes back that they will be able to fix it again. Naive? Not sure, but I feel much better hearing this then being told you never know.
  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    #21
    Vickilg said:

    My Doctors Are Positive
    Hi there... I was diagnosed with Stage IV Rectal with met of one spot to Liver. I just had my rectum removed completely becuase the cancer had come back after a year. At the same time I had a liver resection. I will be following up with 6 months of chemo to make sure there are no cancer cells lurking in my body. The surgeon removed the rectum because that was the source of the persistent tumor and she wants to make sure it doesn't come back. The liver surgeon said that even if after chemo a cancer cell grows in the liver that treatment has progressed so much that they will be able to take care of it again. Both surgeons have told me that I am cancer free and to enjoy life. They have truly made me feel that I have beat this but just in case it comes back that they will be able to fix it again. Naive? Not sure, but I feel much better hearing this then being told you never know.

    I also fake milkbthistle and
    I also fake milkbthistle and have a great ONC. However I knowvthat there are some very rude ONC"s out there.

    Number one treatment for me is to first get rid of the fear! Second, plan your attack! Third, don't give up!

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