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Colon Cancer/colon cancer stage 4

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Expert: - 9/6/2006


Question
My mother was diagnosed with colon cancer last Jan with mets to her lung.  She had a resection and began with 5fu and avastan.  The lesion responded but she could not tolerate the chemo and ended up hospitalized twice with dehydrationa and a twisted bowel.  In June she was put on Herbetex and in Aug had fluid w cancer cells drained from her lung.  Now she is on the 5fu pill and avastan and living on percoset.  She has continual side pain which no one is explaining to her.  I hate to see her in pain - does she have any options?

Answer
Unfortunately no. Her cancer has spread so it is at our present level of ability not curable. Chemo can at best only delay the process and hopefully relieve symptoms, but - as you have discovered - at a price of side effects! Colon cancer (except from the rectum) is normally not radiation sensitive. So at the moment there are no alternatives. The recent progress in immunotherapy (for malignant melanomas) is many years away from usefulness with this cancer. So honestly unfortunately I can at the moment not see any options. I'm sorry I have nothing better to tell you!

Colon Cancer

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Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D.

Expertise

I`m a doctor of medicine and a specialist in radiation therapy and medical oncology. I have long experience with regards to this cancer.

Experience

I'm a Doctor of Medicine and specialist in Medical Oncology and Radiation Therapy educated & trained in Sweden. Now retired. Background in Radiation Therapy, Medical Oncology, Radiation Protection, Nuclear Medicine, Diagnostic Radiology, Gynecological Oncology, Clinical Pathology, Clinical Cytology,Hematology and Internal Medicine. M.D. from the faculty of medicine, Royal Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. Have also been an exchange student at the Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem Israel. Former medical consultant, Swedish National Board of Radiation Protection. Former Police Surgeon and Medical Examiner, Stockholm Police Department. Former Chief Medical Officer, The Royal Guards, The Royal Horse Guards and the Royal Household Brigade, Royal Swedish Army Medical Corps. You can also reach me on: http://www.lifestylerescue.com/expert/health-fitness-advice/dr-claes-gustaf/128 I have no restrictions on the number of questions there.

I also answer questions in these categories: Oncology (General Cancer), General History, Military History, Brain Tumors, Breast Cancer.

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I'm a medical doctor and a specialist in medical oncology & radiation therapy.

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