Colorectal Cancer Stage 3 or Stage 4

jibishk · New User Joined: 21 Oct 2008 Posts: 5

Hi

My father is diagnosed and found that he has colorectal cancer. He is 57 years old. Now the cancer had spread to 2 spots in his lungs and one spot in his bone near lungs.

Could you please answer the following questions.

1) Which stage is the cancer now?
2) What are the available treatments at this stage?
3) Doctor advised to use Avastin along with Chemotherapy. Is it a good treatment plan?
4)My grand father died of stomach cancer, my aunty died of breast cancer and my father has colorectal cancer. So is it a genetic thing which is being spread to generations?
5)Do I need to do a check- up or are there chances that I may also get cancer.(I am 30 years old now)

brainman

I am very sorry about your father's cancer. I have very little knowledge about colorectal cancers but I can answer some of your questions:

Q 1) Which stage is the cancer now?
A. I am not sure how Colorectal Cancers are staged but if it is like other cancers, it would be a Stage 4... because it has metastasized beyond the diaphragm that separates the lower abdomen from the upper abdomen.

Q 2) What are the available treatments at this stage?
A. Again, I am not sure of the specifics but since it has metastasized, he should receive some form of systemic therapy (chemotherapy). He might also have colon surgery to remove a big part or all of the main tumor.

Q 3) Doctor advised to use Avastin along with Chemotherapy. Is it a good treatment plan?
A. The is the standard now... current gold standard. It is the best first line treatment.

Q 4)My grand father died of stomach cancer, my aunty died of breast cancer and my father has colorectal cancer. So is it a genetic thing which is being spread to generations?
A. Colon cancer along with Breast Cancer are a couple of the few cancers that have scientifically proven familial tendencies. This does not mean that since your father has colon cancer, your grandfather stomach cancer, and your aunt had breast cancer that you will get a cancer. Nevertheless, it does put you in a high risk group.

Q 5)Do I need to do a check- up or are there chances that I may also get cancer.(I am 30 years old now)
A. Most people are advised to have their first colonoscopy when they are 50+ years old. I would suspect that you should have one before then but this is one of those questions that you should ask your own doctor.

Good questions:). I hope I was able to answer them fairly well.

You and your father are in my thoughts and prayers.
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

DJL · Regular Joined: 26 Apr 2008 Posts: 14

I can answer question number 5. You will definitely need a colonoscopy in the near future.

After I was diagnosed with rectal cancer, my daughter (age 35) had a colonoscopy.
They found 9 polyps and 7 were precancerous. I'm so thankful she had a colonoscopy.

Hugs,
DJL
_________________
55 year old Female
Diagnosed with rectal cancer 10/02/2007
Chemo & Radiation
Permanent Colostomy & Rectum Removed 01/21/2008

mariedo · New User Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 5

I'm 42 and When i was diagnoosed with cancer 1 year ago it was already stage 4 , meaning it had metastized to the liver . So I probably had this cancer for several years without knowing it. Good luck to you!

mariedo · New User Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 5

sorry, the first line is missing from my last mail:
you should do a colonoscopy before 40

jibishk · New User Joined: 21 Oct 2008 Posts: 5

Hi Mariedo

You said you were diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer 1 year ago.Could you please tell me,to which all organs it had metastasizd.Also what are the treatements you had undergone.Your reply will be helpful for me in deciding the treatment for my father.

mariedo · New User Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 5

Hi Jibishk,I was diagnosed stage 4 because my liver was touched. I went through a surgery for the colon, and now I'm treated for the tumors on my liver. I can't have surgery because I've got too many tumors there. So I went through a Folfox chemo, but I couldn't stand it. I was alergic to Avastin (loss of memory) and to 5FU (risk of scepticemia) and it was quite violent. So they had to stop that chemo. Now I started a new one called Erbitux which is fine for the moment.
good luck to you!

REB

It looks like your questions were answered pretty well.

I agree that is is Stage 4. The course of action will probably be 5Fu and Avastin. Possibly surgery to remove what they can. Maybe radiation.

Prayers to you.
_________________
10/01/07 - Removal of Stage III Colon Cancer Tumor and Temporary Colostomy
Started Chemotherapy 11-07-07 - FOLFOX regimen - 5-FU (5 Flurouracil) and leucovorin, oxaliplatin. Also Avastin
Last Chemo treatment 04-09-08, Colostomy Reversal 04-28-08 Age:41

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