Questions about stage 4 colorectal cancer

Guest

Hi , I hope you can help us we are at our wits end . Please bare with my long narritive
My healthy non smoking non drinking 33yrold husband started developing severe lower left side abdominal pain around May , the pain would last for about 10-15min then subside. At first it was only in the morning , then it was periodically throughout the day, he went to our doc and was treated for EVERYTHING but colon cancer. IE he was treated for everything from a stomach infection to a spasmatic colon. They did blood work and a fecal test, even though there was visible blood in the fecal test they said it was normal. Still the pain wouldnt stop, finally they recommended a colonoscopy.Unfortunately they couldnt get him into be seen for one for 6 weeks , in the meantime he was sent to the ER one evening by our family doc when the pain was absolutely unbearable.
The Er doc pushed and prodded on his stomach , gave him ANOTHER prostrate exam. and finally said he thought it was reflux and gave him PEPCID!!!!!! when husband told him he didnt have heartburn the Er doc said and I quote " the pepcid wont hurt you"

Finally got into the colonoscopy doctor , but they couldnt even complete the exam (even with a pediatric tube) , because at the first bend husbands colon was smaller than a pea.
Was sent to the surgeon the next day ,
He had surgery on Sept 27 2004 , the surgeon told us he had performed what he called a curative surgery , he removed all the cancer that he could visible see. He removed husbands sigmoid colon and the very top part of his rectum, removed 50 lymphnodes of which 3 were cancerous ,
found Cancer seeds in his abdominal wall lining , which he also removed.
Husband (Joe) now has a temporary ileostomy ,
Tomorrow morning he goes to get a port put in , so he can start chemo on Friday
HOWEVER we are trying to find a new oncologist because the one we saw for our first consultation did not leave us feeling like there is ANY hope left.
This doctor had a meeting to go to , so was VERY rushed , for instance didnt even let the nurse take the vitals , he was on the phone for 3 minutes of our 10 minutes that we saw him, with whomever he had the other meeting with.
We have questions that went unanswered so I am hoping you can help us answer a few.
Oh by the way the Oncologist said he was going to use the "cookbook" method?? along with Oxaliplatin.
Joe is suppose to get chemo for 48 hours straight every week or every other ( again wasnt real clear on this )

Our questions are this

Is this a potentially curable cancer? I know stage 4 is pretty bad ,
the surgeon gave him a 70percent chance of it coming back , without chemo .
and an overall 5yr survival rating of 30 percent again this is without chemo
Does chemo give him better odds?
Any help you can give us at this time would be appreciated as we are lost.
The type of cancer he has is
Adenocarcinoma Signet Ring cell type poorly differentiated colorectal cancer
We live in Grand Rapids Michigan

Thank you for your time

ys0304 · Guest

See below

Our questions are this

Is this a potentially curable cancer? I know stage 4 is pretty bad ,
the surgeon gave him a 70percent chance of it coming back , without chemo and an overall 5yr survival rating of 30 percent again this is without chemo

[color=blue]Yes, it is potentially curable, I think. The doctor who mediates the board is probably a better source than I; I am basing the opinion on what I know about the disease, being a Stage IV type myself (just a couple years older than your husband, in fact), and the facts that you present. Actually, the facts that you present, the staging that you provide, and the survival rating do not necessarily make a great deal of sense. In your husband's case, I think that the two things that make for a great deal of hope is the relative absense of lymph node involvement and the fact that, as you describe, no organs are involved. I think more typically than not, Stage IV CRC has more lymph node involvement (for example, I had 15 or 18) and confirmed organ involvement - most notably the liver. Notwithstanding the Peritoneal "Seeds", the cancer you describe would grade at Stage IIIa, which has 5 year survival rating 83% (most agree that surviving for either 5 or 7 years is equal to a cure).[/color]

Does chemo give him better odds? [color=blue]Most certainly. Once the cancer has spread beyond the musculature, surgeons cannot guarantee that that they will pick up every last cancerous cell. Chemotherapy is designed to do just that - kill cells that are left behind. Oxaliplatin is statistically the best way to go as a first line treatment. The only thing that I might ask is whether or not it would be a good idea to add Avastin to the regimen.[/color]

Please post again or feel free to send an email if there is anything else that you think I can help with.

Any help you can give us at this time would be appreciated as we are lost.
The type of cancer he has is
Adenocarcinoma Signet Ring cell type poorly differentiated colorectal cancer
We live in Grand Rapids Michigan

leo · Site Admin Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 1574

Hello

I am deeply sorry to hear about your husband. It is very hard to use statistics and extrapolate the numbers to the individual patient. Chemotherapy will certainly increase his survival chance, by how much time is arguable. Unfortunately most oncologists would agree that his disease is not curable at this point, however he may have several years of survival. These peritoneal seeds are very important, and can give rise to a lot of problems, including bowel obstruction and so forth. I wish I had better news. But it is good that apparently he does not have other sites of metastasis, so this is in his favor.

Wish you and your husband the best of luck

regards,
Leo
_________________
Leonardo F - Webmaster Cancer Forums
Disclaimer: this information is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice.

Ruby · Guest

Hi, have you logged on to Cancer Survivors Network???? another excellent site that could help.....

pamik · New User Joined: 29 Nov 2004 Posts: 2

I just wanted to welcome you here and know that they have made big advances in treatment of colon cancer in just the past 2 years alone. My husband had stage 4 with liver involvement and in on his third regime. There is a new drug that can help block the blood flow to the cancer cells but cannot be used on people who have had strokes as it can increase the risk of strokes and heart attacks. Read up on the chemo they want to give him. Ask questions, even if they seem silly or unimportant. Talk to his nurse as often as you need to to get questions answered.

If you do not feel comfortable with this oncologist, get another one. They are dealing with your husband and YOU also. Talk to other people who have had cancer. If you know any nurses, talk to them. Some doctors have lousy bedside manners but are great when dealing with the cancer itself. Might also help to join a support group. Would you be willing or able to travel a little distance to see an oncologist with whom you might feel more comfortable with?

I hope this has helped some.

God bless you and yours.

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