advise

I was diagnosed with colon cancer on December 07 with secondaries in the lung.  I am alergic to 5fu, which was discovered when I ended up in Hospital very sick with a blocked bowel and inflamed.  Blood test were sent to London and then that was discovered.

On February 2009 oncologist decided discovered tumors in both lungs were progressing (8 in number) so started on low doses of 5fu.  went from 20% to 80% every two weeks.  80% couldnt take so went back down to 70%.  So now had 4 cycles of 5fu 70% (MTD Irinotecan 100% and 2 cycles of avastin.  Last weekend back in hospital with shortness of breath, temperature 38.7 and bowel hadnt moved in two weeks. CTPA (based on raised D Dimers. Scan showed it wasnt a clot.  Sent home on Antifotic week later still on antibotic and temperature still up and down.

What would you recommend.

I am thinking about not having any more avastin.

Due to have scan to check has the 4 cycles of chem helped to reduce the tumors.

Many thanks, Martin

HI MARTIN,

  Sorry to hear about what you are going through, my wife has colon cancer  since 2002 with mets to liver and lungs, she is on a Vectibix,, its new and its a Target Therapy,,, by all accounts Avastin is a good chemo,,  and not sure you should come off it,, you need to talk it through with your Dr and also see what scans show,,,  do you have a good diet??  do you know about  ,,sugar and cancer??   iron and cancer??  linseed oil and cancer?...  asparagus and cancer?? and tumeric and cancer,,, also your body,, alkaline ad acidic,,, check them all out on google it will help you a lot ..

  We do hope  scans  go good for you,  let us know outcome stay positive and never give up ,,, we are all on this journey with you ,,,

         Best Wishes    Rob and Barb

I was dxed stage 4 with mets to liver and lung in 1996 . 11 months of f5u and leukoverin reduced but didn't eliminate the lesions and I felt miserable the whole time .  I turned to surgery and have had a lobe of each lung removed ( one 2000 and the other in 2007 ) as well as liver surgery which was sucessful and radiation which didn't help . I've never gone into the diet regimen , but ; whatever works is great .   I saw my onc last week for my 6 month schedule check up and my cea was 0.3 so I'm good for another 6 mos .  My point is that you should consider every modality open to you . I am never going to be cured but I treat my ca as a chronic disease to be dealt with as sxs arise .  I would consider more chemo only if that were the only reasonable option .  But you and your onc are the only ones who can really decide the best way to treat it .  I've been there andknow how agonizing your decision is for you .   All you can do is trust your judgment and be optomistic .  There are many of us who have survived long term and are still active .I'm 73 and ecept for shortness of breath on exertion I really have no activity restrictions .  Be positive and give it your best shot . Goodluck .

On 6/29/2009 barbrob wrote:

HI MARTIN,

  Sorry to hear about what you are going through, my wife has colon cancer  since 2002 with mets to liver and lungs, she is on a Vectibix,, its new and its a Target Therapy,,, by all accounts Avastin is a good chemo,,  and not sure you should come off it,, you need to talk it through with your Dr and also see what scans show,,,  do you have a good diet??  do you know about  ,,sugar and cancer??   iron and cancer??  linseed oil and cancer?...  asparagus and cancer?? and tumeric and cancer,,, also your body,, alkaline ad acidic,,, check them all out on google it will help you a lot ..

  We do hope  scans  go good for you,  let us know outcome stay positive and never give up ,,, we are all on this journey with you ,,,

         Best Wishes    Rob and Barb

Hello Rob and Barb,

Thanks for replying to my e-mail. 

I was with my oncologist on Tuesday for result of scan.  He informed me that my tumors have reduced somewhat. I have come off avastin.  I made this decision myself as I felt it was the cause of me ended up in hospital with shortness of breath.  So I am to continue with 70% 5fu 100%irinoteacan and folic acid. for another three months.

I find I am very sick with this chemo for over one week and my bowel stops working for this time. I use movical and it dosent right itself until the following week. 

This week I am having problems with my digestive system.,things seems to be getting caught at the bottom of my breast bone.  If it continues I will go back to oncologist.  I have take gaviscone.

I am aware of sugar and cancer.  I will google for the other things you recommended.

Have not heard of the drug vectibix.  maybe this is only on market in USA.

Having eight tumors in both lungs I am not a canidate for surgery, radiation or thermal ablation

Wishing Barb well.

All the best

Martin

Hello Tom,

Thanks for replying to my e-mail.

Unfortunately I can not have surgery, as I have 8 tumors on both lungs.

I am not a suitable canidate for radiation or thermal ablation.

My oncologist told me last Tuesday my tumors have reduced somewhat.

So I am to continue treatment for another three months.

Hope all goes well with you

Martin