Expert: Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D. - 6/21/2007

Question
QUESTION: My husband was diagnosed stage 4 colon cancer w/mets to his liver Nov '05 (he's 53 yrs old now).  He had surgery to remove a section of his colon. He responded well to chemo until it recently stopped working (spots approx same size as when he started).  He is now doing Y-90 treatment using Theraspheres for the liver cancer.  Will this substantially extend his life expectancy?!?  If so, why don't I hear about other patients using this if they have mets to the liver? And why isn't it done sooner?

ANSWER: This is (still) a rather experimental therapy using local radioactive isotopes - or rather one yttrium isotope (Yttrium 90) - in something called brachytherapy. I certainly can not promise any results especially as most colon cancers (except those from the rectum) usually are not very sensitive to radiation. Brachytherapy however can offer higher local radiation doses so some positive effect MAY be possible, but I remain somewhat sceptical. I think that this explains why you have not heard more about it.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I realize there are no guarantees, but how do I find out the current success rate(life expectancy) with the patients that have had the treatment?
Thank you

Answer
With a stage 4 colon cancer there are at present - if you mean cures - no success rate at all since no such cancers can be cured at all with present methods. The only thing that can be achieved with present therapies (surgery, chemo therapy etc.) is an extended survival time. There are great variations in individual results too on this point so it is impossible to give you any kind of prediction at present unfortunately.