Bowel cancer spread to liver

Hi Phoenix et al

Read your diagnosis. Not good.

But to give you encouragment i was in a similar position 17 months ago but with some nasty extra.

Chemo,death rays stomas and reversal...here I am.

There is a reasonable chance inferred by raw data of 5 year survival. The medical team treating us act on best endeavours so cannot actually predict accurately how any individual will respond.

It took  (for me) 11 months of treatment to get the tumours small enough to operate.

You just have to stick with it...bit by bit.

In the context of Stage 4 colorectal cancer 5 year survival would be a triumph and reasonable hope could expand that acheivement.

Be brave and bear with all the treatments. However shitty it all seems they are the only path to life.  

Will I die from these cancers? Very probably. But here we are. Whatever comes down the road fight to extend the time and seek a reasonable quality of life.

In order to optimise my finances I ask about survival stats. It's a problem for anyone at Stage 4. Your team will.be able to adjust forecasts as treatment progress..

Dont be impatient. That ghastly chemo

Stuff continues working monthd after you finish taking the meds.

Its hard not to blub sometimes. Thats natural. Its also natural.to grab a fine bottle of whiskey every so often. But the trajectory had to be positive in order to get you through the next 18 mths.

Good Luck

A wee hand wave from mum . As you can see we are still sitting it out in hospital . 
Best foot forward and take it in sections is her advice . Stay well on chemo with exercise , food and fluids and stay connected with your life . 
Slowly knock the disease back and hopefully options open up .

The treatment she is on now was not funded when she started treatment so remember the science is still being developed and may help you considerably in the future .

Court and her mum x 

Hi Anthony- sorry for late reply. Wow u sound like you have really been through it. How are you doing now 17 mths on? Do u feel fit or tired? 
ur tumours have shrunk so will they operate even though they thought not at the beginning? It’s so much to take in - some days I feel it’s happening to someone else and then wham I realise it’s me. My husband thinks I’ll be able to have chemo and hold it at bay for 10+ years but I fear he’s just hoping. I wish you luck too - would be good to stay in touch. Please let me know what you have been through if u don’t mind.  I still no so very little and would really like to hope if they can stop it spreading elsewhere I can still live way more years than I fear x

1. Hi Courts Mum - hope u kicking butt in hospital. Everything ok? 

Yes thanks . A wee infection and making great progress with a very thorough team . Starting treatment again soon . They really do take very good care of her .

She will be following your journey and sends her best .

Court 

so a bit of an update. I had a consultation yesterday and they were going to show me my liver scans. i have a large tumour on the left with 2 or 3 others and 2 or 3 on the right. he said no surgery. usual statistics 18-24mths of survival with chemo. wow that was hard to hear. however i am going to give 3 months chemo a blooming good shot and see how my cancer responds. like everyone I don't want to have limited life - i want to get to retirement - have worked hard enough to get there but no one has a crystal ball or a guarantee that they will be a given. however i am really struggling with the concept i am on borrowed time. I know eventually once I get stuck into chemo I will (hopefully) feel more positive but its tough. I know I have probably already asked you guys but anyone had similar?? xx

Hi Phoenix C ,

Sorry I missed your last tag, just in hospital after the latest op a week ago!

It's very tough to hear a prognosis like that however you are very right in saying 'usual statistics '  These include everyone of all ages and with other conditions in addition to cancer. They have no idea yet how you will respond to chemo so it baffles me how they can even guess a prognosis.  My Onc never offered this information to me and I never asked, neither did I look at any scans, I needed to cling on to hope.  They did say that an op would be very unlikely. 

You will def feel better once you start treatment   it feels like the fight starts then.  I did have to have treatment for about 8-9 months and was scanned after every 4 and each time it remained a no until after the final scan when they broke the news that they wouldn't operate, ever.  Heartbreaking but I'd had such a good response to chemo, excellent shrinkage so I got a second opinion and was very well taken care of by the fantastic Mr Rees in Basingstoke, everything he took out was dead tumour and what remained was extremely healthy liver.  I've outlived the usual prognosis and intend to continue doing so!

Don't give up, it's a long road ahead but we're all here for encouragement. Xx

U r always so positive and helpful in your responses to me! Thank you 

how u feeling after ur op ? U have been through so much and doing so well!!!!

Funny my husband and I were  just talking about Mr Rees at Basingstoke and have his details ready to call and ask when we could get a 2nd opinion. 
I think I would feel more confident with a second look but I understand I’ll need my 3 month chemo done first I guess to see response . 
how long will u be in hospital for ? Xx 

I was diagnosed last year with cancer which has decided to come back after 10 years clear I was stage 3 then. I’m told I’m now stage 4 inoperable and not curable. So I’m starting chemo tomorrow for 12 cycles. I’m getting immunotherapy follows by another 2 types of chemo I had a picc line inserted yesterday, pump will be added tomorrow before chemo. 

I told the oncologist I did not want a prognosis as I want to concentrate on living not on dying. Hopefully this treatment will shrink the tumour in my sacrum and take away the pain. I’m also hoping this treatment will give me some extra time. 

I don’t know much about immunotherapy apart from it’s targeted. 

zhood luck on your journey. 

 Star74 Just re read u bio- u had this op early coz u thought 1st June. How u feeling ?? Xx