When you have stage 4 colon cancer and you are undergoing chemo is it hard or can you work?
I have an inlaw that underwent a recurring surgery to have his colon removed. His cancer has spreaded to his liver.
Cancer - 6 Answers
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1 :
Stage 4 is usually the last stages of cancer. Once it spreads to other organs of the body, it usually is only a matter of time. Be good to them, their time is limited.
2 :
It depends entirely on the patient, age, overall health, and response to treatment. Some are able to get back on their feet rapidly and others will languish . . there is no way of knowing. And, despite some of the grim statements here . . stage IV cancer refers to treatment and is no longer considered a 'death sentence' .. your inlaw is in treatment for a stage IV disease. Which means that it will be more difficult to treat and take longer than a stage 1 .. that's all. Hopefully they will be able to regain control of the disease with treatment. Cancer that has spread to the liver can be treated . . much will depend on the individual patient and their response though. Your inlaw should be seen at a comprehensive cancer center as most of these facilities are research or university hospitals that offer the newest cancer treatments. You can find a list at the National Cancer Institute: http://cancercenters.cancer.gov/cancer_centers/cancer-centers-list.html It might help also to join a few support groups to see what others are doing for the latest treatment of this type of cancer: ACOR: Colorectal Cancer Discussion List http://listserv.acor.org/archives/colon.html Colon Cancer Alliance http://www.ccalliance.org/ Best to you. Remember there is always hope.
3 :
Working through any stage of cancer is a matter of choice. You don't have to. Stage 4 automatically qualifies you for SSDI benefits. Yes, stage 4 is treatable and many people live a good quality of life for YEARS. Don't write your relative off. Most stage 4 colon cancer is treated with an oral chemo called xeloda and is very tolerable. Tell anyone who says they are going to die, "are you God"? or "why, do you see an expiration dated stamped on my forehead" or just "GFY, so are you"!!!!
4 :
There are 5 stages of cancer, with each representing a more serious degree of disease progression. The stage has nothing to do with treatment, it is the progression of the disease. The earlier cancer is caught the better the chances are of survival. Once cancer has spread to surrounding organs cure is pretty much ruled out. Most treatments at this point are aimed at slowing down the progression to buy the person more time. There is no treatment for liver cancer that I'm aware of that would do anything more than slow the cancer down. Once cancer reaches the liver life span is lowered to 6-9 months. I'm sorry but your in law doesn't have much time left. Unless there is a miracle or someone finds the cure between now and then.
5 :
"Panda" is the top answerer in this category, but I have to disagree with her statement that "stage IV disease . . . means that it will be more difficult to treat and take longer than a stage 1 .. that's all." Colon cancer metastatic to the liver is not likely to be cured in any medical center. Chemotherapy is usually given to buy some time - often in terms of extra months rather than many years. The chemotherapy given for colon carcinoma is usually better tolerated than more aggressive regimens used for other types of cancer. I have had some patients tolerate 5FU based chemo regimens well enough to work if they wanted to - usually they did not. Often it is the advancing malignancy in the liver that leads to weakness and weight loss plus lack of energy and decreased activity level. Added note re: Lola's answer (which is otherwise fine) - I've never heard a stage "five" cancer. Stage four means the cancer has spread to distant areas - such as the liver in this case. There is no stage beyond stage four. And stage does refer to the malignant disease - not to the treatment - though the treatment is tailored to the stage of the disease. These are small points. What you want to know is that the treatment is usually not very rough. If your family member is in good shape, he may have some good quality time left. If there is truly significant liver involvement, many years of survival would be unusual. Survival does vary with the level of involvement. The National Cancer Institute indicates that people with three or fewer lesions in the liver can do better.for longer periods -- perhaps 25% survival at five years compared to less than 5% survival at five years for more extensive liver involvement Correcting myself - Lola is correct. If you count stage 0, there are five stages - - but stage four is the last stage. Also - of course no doctor is God and no one can say when someone will die. We can only provide information about the usual outcomes based on previous people. I did not use the word "terminal" in my cancer specialty medicine practice. All of us are terminal. There are always people who do better than average.
6 :
It is sometimes a matter of choice if one continues to work and it sometimes depends on how the individual reacts to the chemo etc. Everyone is different. He should not feel pressured to work just because some people have
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