Chemo (The Double-Edge Sword)

I recently lost my father to stomach cancer.  I've been reading this message board for the past 3 months and every story is heart wrenching.  Did anyone choose palliative care over chemo?  If stage iv stomach cancer is terminal, shouldn't the oncologist choose a path that will provide a better quality of life?

Of course, there is the small chance that the chemo may work, but I haven't read any stage iv stomach cancer going into remission in this "Message Board".

Is it worth going through chemo if the prognosis is terminal?  I know my father would have succumbed to the cancer soon or later, but I can't help thinking that the chemo made it happen sooner AND it totally destroy his quality of life.

What does everyone else think? 

On 8/15/2007 mookie wrote:

I recently lost my father to stomach cancer.  I've been reading this message board for the past 3 months and every story is heart wrenching.  Did anyone choose palliative care over chemo?  If stage iv stomach cancer is terminal, shouldn't the oncologist choose a path that will provide a better quality of life?

Of course, there is the small chance that the chemo may work, but I haven't read any stage iv stomach cancer going into remission in this "Message Board".

Is it worth going through chemo if the prognosis is terminal?  I know my father would have succumbed to the cancer soon or later, but I can't help thinking that the chemo made it happen sooner AND it totally destroy his quality of life.

What does everyone else think? 

 

 

the purpose of chemo in stage 4 cancer of any kind is to prolong life, not cure.  As someone said, often this added time may be only weeks or months.  What about the quality of that extention?  Good question.  Sometimes its not that great.  Most of the time patients and families want to fight and do everything possible.  There seems to be honor in going down in a blaze of glory rather than quiting without a fight.  So we treat even when the outcome is inevitable.  Its a difficult decision.

I agree, but we as the caregivers feel this way.  I know for one, my Mom with Stage IV Colon cancer wants to "keep on fighting".  She is obsessed with it almost.

The past two months she has taken a "break" from chemo, to decide her next course of action, and to let her body rebuild and get stronger.  I also thought it was for her to DO THINGS.  I had hoped she'd take a little day trip or an overnighter with a friend, or my sister, or myself, or one of my kids, but she seems quite content just sitting around and waiting for this Thursday, when she will let the doctor know that she needs to get back on her chemo (it's making her nuts).

We see the whole picture and are able to think in more practical terms.

The patient is not.  I simply pray to GOD that this never happens to me, but if it does, that I am able to see the whole picture, and enjoy quality over quantity.

Beth

On 8/15/2007 mookie wrote:

I recently lost my father to stomach cancer.  I've been reading this message board for the past 3 months and every story is heart wrenching.  Did anyone choose palliative care over chemo?  If stage iv stomach cancer is terminal, shouldn't the oncologist choose a path that will provide a better quality of life?

Of course, there is the small chance that the chemo may work, but I haven't read any stage iv stomach cancer going into remission in this "Message Board".

Is it worth going through chemo if the prognosis is terminal?  I know my father would have succumbed to the cancer soon or later, but I can't help thinking that the chemo made it happen sooner AND it totally destroy his quality of life.

What does everyone else think? 

 

 

My partner was diagnosed with Stage IV Linitis Plastica in Nov 2006. At the time of diagnosis, he had lost so much weight, he looked like one of those starving kids you see on the TV in some war-torn country. He could not keep any food down and was even having trouble keeping liquid down. The surgeon refused to operate on him unless he had chemo first and even then only if he responded to the chemo. In his professional opinion, he was in no condition to undergo a full gastrectomy operation.

So, he started on chemo. Was on ECF for 27 weeks. Granted the first few weeks were hell. He was throwing up dried blood constantly. But by the end of the 27 weeks, he was almost back to his normal weight (minus 5 kilos), eating well, very active and was fit enough to have the surgery. His body was strong enough to survive a 3 hour operation to remove the stomach, spleen and part of the pancreas, and to go through the 2 weeks of recovery.

Unfortunately, the cancer has come back. He started having problems keeping food down again. He started on second-line chemo (Taxotere) 6 weeks ago. And again, the chemo has improved his symptoms. He is eating well again and has even put on 1 kg.

As for quality of life. Yes, he is not what he was before the disease, but he has been active. He goes for walks, and we do a lot of stuff that we normally used to do. Only difference is he gets tired quite easily now. We've even managed to go away on 2 trips, and are planning our next one.

Granted my partner is only 31, and I know chemo affects people differently. But if it wasn't for chemo, I have no doubt that my partner wouldn't even be here right now, still battling on. And we wouldn't have had the last 9 months we've had together. The time we've spent together over this time, and the joy we've had being together, to me, far outweighs the hardship of chemo.

My Mom has been off chemo for 3 weeks now.  She is just now starting to feel better.  She's very tired of course, but she's been eating really good and is able to do so much more than she has these past few months.  We were in such shock when we found out she had stage IV stomach cancer which has spread to the liver, lungs and lymphnodes in April.  This cancer is so silent, but once it makes it presence known, your life is changed forever.

 Ma is recovering from her third hospital stay.  Fevers, low WBC, and this last time - a partial bowel obstruction.  I watch her get weaker and thinner with each treatment cycle.  She was on a every other week cocktail of 5FU and another, then home for 2 day slow infusion of 5FU.  Since she been so ill, they are planning to change the cocktail to something more tolerable for Ma.  Her ct scans have showed progress: the tumor continues to get smaller, there is no longer evidence of cancer in her lungs, and her liver appears to have reduction in the size and qty of cancer there as well.  So it muct be working ..... right ???

We have a treatment scheduled for this Wednesday, I really want her to continue to gain some strength and weight befor this next round of chemo.  But she wants to get right back to treatment as soon as possible.  On the one hand chemo seems to be driving the cancer back, but on the other - I think it's taking my Mother further away. 

You can't live with it, and you can't live without it.  But it's the fight that keeps us alive today.  And fight we will.

On 8/18/2007 2Tomorrow wrote:

My Mom has been off chemo for 3 weeks now.  She is just now starting to feel better.  She's very tired of course, but she's been eating really good and is able to do so much more than she has these past few months.  We were in such shock when we found out she had stage IV stomach cancer which has spread to the liver, lungs and lymphnodes in April.  This cancer is so silent, but once it makes it presence known, your life is changed forever.

 Ma is recovering from her third hospital stay.  Fevers, low WBC, and this last time - a partial bowel obstruction.  I watch her get weaker and thinner with each treatment cycle.  She was on a every other week cocktail of 5FU and another, then home for 2 day slow infusion of 5FU.  Since she been so ill, they are planning to change the cocktail to something more tolerable for Ma.  Her ct scans have showed progress: the tumor continues to get smaller, there is no longer evidence of cancer in her lungs, and her liver appears to have reduction in the size and qty of cancer there as well.  So it muct be working ..... right ???

We have a treatment scheduled for this Wednesday, I really want her to continue to gain some strength and weight befor this next round of chemo.  But she wants to get right back to treatment as soon as possible.  On the one hand chemo seems to be driving the cancer back, but on the other - I think it's taking my Mother further away. 

You can't live with it, and you can't live without it.  But it's the fight that keeps us alive today.  And fight we will.

 

Hi,

this is the first time I have written on this message board but I have been reading and hoping to find some hope that stage lv stomach cancer can be held at bay.  I am sorry your mum is poorly with this terrible, wicked disease.  My wonderful husband is only 44 years old and was told in May that he had inoperable stomach cancer - terminal.  It had not gone into any other organs but is encapsulating his pancreas and has spread into his omentum and has fingers out all over the place.  Described by the first doctor as a whopper.  He was offered ECX at Christies in Manchester England which didn't work. He is now on Xeloda and Irinetecan on a two week cycle.  This is a much better regime for his quality of life.  He is not sick, or unwell with it and we are able to do normal things.  He has much more energy than on the first chemo regime which made him terribly sick and tired.  The doctor has put him on one steroid in the morning which has increased his appetite.

I just wanted to ask if you could tell me what the other drugs your mother is having along with the 5FU?  I have been reading about Avastin and Taxotere which is not allowed to be prescribed yet for stomach cancer in England and wondered if it was one of them.

If anyone else out there has stories of stomach cancer that has shrunk I would like to know what drugs they took and on what regime.

Many thanks in anicipation and my positive thoughts wing their way to all people having to cope with cancer in their lives.

Elaine

I empathize with everyone patients and caregivers alike. My husband has stage 4 gastric cancer diagnosed 10/06. He is on chemo having had 2 treatments which has made him very sick. I have done extensive research on the subject matter and read reports how chemo does nothing for stomach cancer. I never wanted him to take chemo but it is his decision to make. We met other people at the cancer hospital who wished they had never submitted to this barbaric form of treatment. Since chemo is mustard gas and very toxic I believe other forms of treatment should be used as it does nothing to cure the disease. It is time to fight back folks and look on the internet for other forms of treatment besides. Be very vigilant in your research and through this forum we can help those who cannot help themselves. It is up to us the caregiver to be proactive. Wipe away those tears. The answer to this problem is right in front of us. What I have learned is this...the body can heal itself of anything wrong. The doctors know this but are sworn to the pharmaceutical industry with their chemicalized medicine. We all have cancer cells in our body yet why is it that some develop cancer while others do not. It comes down to the immune system. So lets look into that area and see what we can find. Its much better than feeling sad and making ourselves sick. What do you think???