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Dads bowel cancer to Stage 4 liver cancer

Robinho
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Sadly my Dad has suffered this and we're in a stage where he has no appetite, wants to sleep a lot, has started with bladder and bowel issues (caught short) and his chemo treatment with secondary Amoxyplatin is on hold due to an infection being treated with antibiotics.

I'm trying to support him and my mother and brother but fear we might be getting close to the end?

His last course of chemo that has paused to treat the infection came after an 8 week break and following the scan prior to restarting treatment (end of June 2024) his oncologist said if treatment worked it may be up to a year he gets, or if not, possibly 6 months tops, as the liver cancer had developed more in the 8 week break.

His decline in condition has been rapid so am I over thinking things or is it better to be realistic?

Any guidance is appreciated and thanks for the support.

Rob

  • Hi Robinho,

    Thank you for getting in touch with Macmillan Cancer Support.  I’m Kelly one of the Cancer Information Nurses.

    What an incredibly worrying and stressful time for you all at this time.  There can be a lot of uncertainty knowing what to expect.  Especially with your dad’s recent infection and struggles with the other symptoms you mention.

    It’s not clear from your information if your dad is currently at home or in hospital. 

    If he is at home, we would always recommend getting any new or worsening symptoms reviewed urgently by the GP or NHS 111 today.  They will be able to make assess these to know the best way to manage them.  Just to make sure that your dad is as comfortable as possible, especially with the recent infection.

    It would also be a good idea to try and arrange an appointment with the consultant at the hospital so they can support with any questions and doubts that you have about his rapid decline.

    As we’re not directly involved with your dad’s care it’s difficult for us to guide specifically about what this all means for your dad moving forward.  However, he does sound very unwell at the minute.

    We know that side effects of chemotherapy can cause problems with the symptoms you mention.  Understanding how well your dad responds to the antibiotics will give his doctors a clearer indication if he will be well enough to continue with the treatment or not.

    If the risks of continuing chemotherapy outweigh any further benefits to control the cancer your dad’s doctors would likely want to discuss this with you as a family to make informed decisions about continuing with this.  Understandably many people struggle with the thought of no longer having an active treatment for cancer.

    Sometimes physical changes affecting the bowel and bladder, feeling more tired and loss of appetite can be signs that someone may be moving towards end of life.  A doctor or nurse looking after your dad is best placed to guide you with this.

    The focus of care for your dad would then move towards symptom, practical and emotional support with input from specialist palliative and end of life care doctors and nurses. 

    This may include support from community palliative care teams and local hospices. These services offer support at home if that is someone’s wish.  Your dad’s hospital team or GP would be able to make any necessary referrals.

    There’s a lot to think about when supporting a loved one with cancer and it’s important to look after yourself too. 

    I noticed that you previously joined the bowel cancer forum on our online community.  Our supporting someone with incurable cancer forum may also be able to offer some invaluable support at this time too.

    Some people find it helpful to pick up the phone for a chat with one of the nurses on the helpline. 

    I hope you find this information helpful.  Please don’t hesitate to get back in touch with us if you have more questions.  You can call us free from landlines and most mobile networks on 0808 808 00 00, you can also chat to us on  email or webchat  7 days a week, 8am-8pm.

    Kind regards,

    Kelly

    Ref KA/HK

     

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