Re: Help again please

[Guest guest]

Jenn,

I had a primary tumor removed from my rectum, cancer in 15 of 17

lymph nodes, and I have " mets " in my liver and lungs. I'm also

still alive 8 or 9 months later; actually feeling quite good and

have gained 25 lbs or so in the last three months. Hope isn't gone

yet. Don't get too far ahead of yourself - I would take things one

step at a time. I'll try to address some of your questions/concerns:

" Mets " are short for metastatic lesions - instances of cancer that

has spread to other organs. Your body has two means of circulating

fluids - the blood and the lymphatic system. Veins and arteries

carry the blood, as you know. The lymphatic fluid is transported by

lymph ducts, which are interupted from time to time and around major

organs by lymph nodes - places where lymphatic fluid is stored and

produced. Both systems act to spread cancer to other parts of the

body. In the case of the colon, blood entering the veins

immediately sees the liver before going to the heart to be

recirculated. Ditto for the lymphatic fluid. As the liver filters

the blood, the liver is by far the most common place for colon

cancer to spread. Sometimes it forms one small or large tumor -

sometimes it forms many (I have 6 or so). Sometimes they can be

surgically removed - if the spread is confined to the liver and

meets certain other criteria, it can be removed and there is a

decent chance that a total cure will occur. The brain is not nearly

as common as the liver, or for that matter, the lungs, so there is a

still a good chance, I think, that the brain CT will be negative.

Your aunt has what is known as Stage IV colorectal cancer - cancer

that has spread to other organs. The normal method of treatment (it

is even done with the liver surgery mentioned before) is

chemotherapy. Chemotherapy, like every other treatment, is a

personal choice - people can elect or not elect to have it - the

doctor cannot make you get it. Chemotherapy causes side effects

that can be unpleasant. ONLY when your aunt gets to the point of

being done with the primary tumor resection, has tried chemo to see

what it is like, and has a good idea of the prognosis would it be

appropriate to judge whether chemo is right or not. In all cases it

extends survival - significantly - in some rare cases it can even be

curative - and people have different reactions to the side effects.

For some, they are bad; for others, they are hardly noticeable.

Ports are good - they are devices put under the skin so that IV

access is easy as poking a needle straight in, instead of having to

start a new IV every time. Have her insist on a port, though.

Sometimes they use devices called PICCs - these protrude from the

skin in the upper arm, get infected, and prevent you from taking

baths and swimming. Ports, since they are under the skin, do not

impose any limitations.

The resection is not a trivial operation; it is as traumatic as

chemotherapy will ever be, and the recovery from it will set the

tone on how her body handles any chemotherapy. She will need

support to get through it, and encouragement afterward to keep her

spirit. Those are the things that you can do now. After the

surgery, encourage her and help her to get out of bed as soon as

possible - the more and sooner she gets up, the sooner the wounds

will heal and the sooner her body will fully recover. Ensure that

she does the breathing exercises that the nurses will likely ask her

to do - these clear out the lungs and prevent pnemonia. You can

also help her out by making her a " splint " for coughing (ask her

doctor first - for some reason, some doctors do not approve of

these) - take a thin blanket, fold it up to be about size of a book,

and wrap it in cloth medical tape. Holding this on the stomach

while coughing will make it much less painful.

All the Best - Joe

>

> Ok so we went for the first appointment with my aunt's oncologist

> today. He looked at the reports and films then said so you know

you

> have a cancerous tumor but unfourtunatly it has spread to your

liver

> and lymph nodes. Then he showed us the films. There where many

> spots on her liver ranging from the size of a pea to a quarter

then

> he said when you have your resection on wed. you will have a port

> installed so you can get your treatments, so my question is are

> these spots what you all refer to as mets? What does mets stand

for

> or mean? She has to have a ct scan done of the brain tomorrow to

see

> if her symptoms of severe ADD (recently diagnosed within a month)

> are really symtoms of bain cancer. I really hope that is not the

> case. But if it is do you think that at that point not doing

chemo

> might be an option. Or atleast discussed. Has anyone ever had

> cancer in the liver , brain, lots of lymph nodes and god only

knows

> where else and surrvived? I just want her to know all her

options.

> Please help with your opinions.

>

> Thanks

>

> Desprate Jenn