Worried About Treatment Protocol For Metastisized Colon Cancer

My stepdad had stage III colon cancer originally diagnosed in Feb. 2003. They removed part of his colon and the affected lymph nodes and he underwent chemo for six months. I believe he was on Leucovorin and Flurouracil at that point.

His cancer reoccured in August 2005. There were four walnut-sized tumors in his lungs and a spot on his liver. At that point his oncologist put him on the Folfox 4 regimen. His CSA level dropped to 2.5 after four months of treatment, so he stopped chemo in November 2005.

One month later his CSA number was up again, back to 8. So they restarted chemo in early January. He did two months of treatment, again on the Folfox 4 regimen, and his CSA level dropped to 3 so they ceased treatment.

His CSA level rose to 8 in March, but his oncologist wanted to wait and see what the next month would bring. His CSA level in April dropped to 7, so they didn't restart treatment. His newest CSA level last week, in mid-June, had shot up to 15, the highest it's ever been. (It was only 12 at the time of his original diagnosis.) So they restarted chemo yesterday and he is doing the Folfox 4 regimen and they're adding Avastin to the drug combo.

I have been begging my stepdad to go to another doctor for a second opinion on whether he's getting the best care, but he refuses. He doesn't like to question his doctors. I am terrified that this treatment is not enough, that treating the tumors with chemo each time they pop up isn't enough.

What is everyone's opinion here? His oncologist hasn't even done a PET scan since November. And he wants to wait for two treatments to be completed before doing it this time.

He also keeps saying not to worry about the spots on my stepdad's liver. He says the tumors in the lungs are what he's focusing on. That just doesn't sound right to me.

hi tazzy,It's not that i'm trying to be a doubting thomas but it does sound like his Dr. is doing thebest he can,you're right about one thing, there are a lot of treatments out there but the end result would probably be the same, you said you're worried his liver and why that isn't being addressed,the liver is the only organ that can regenerate it's self(not that it will) but without his lungs you don't need to worry about the liver,do you understand?his life is way more compromised with lung cancer,that i think is the first priority now,if they can help the lungs the liver can be dealt with later, I wish you and your stepdad all good things and i'll pray for your peace of mind,I thinkyour stepdad has found it, he knows the score,he's probably more worried about you honey, would you put it on the message board how he does? sincerely, annieo

There are tons of treatments, but you are right in your concern with this start and stopping of treatments. I'd insist on a PET, an MRI or CT scan of the appropriate areas. The doc will need to word the order so that insurance pays, but a lot of stuff can be attributed to other cancerous sites that may have sprung up and not being addressed by the chemo regimine they may be doing. Keep questioning - contact the doctor or his head nurse directly - if you are listed as someone on his hippa privacy thing, you can talk to them freely and respectfully but still get your dad the attention he may need. Don't kick yourself for not asking questions or requesting more diagnostic testing. His life could depend on it.