Question 1

is there any help for someone in stage 4 colon cancer?

Accepted Answer

Certainly: Stage 4 colon cancer is no death sentence. Depending on your situation, there may be options for surgery, ablation, and systemic treatments like chemotherapy. I suggest that you seek help at a nationally recognized cancer center (www.Cancer.Gov).

Question 2

does stage 4 colon cancer cause dehydration ?

Accepted Answer

It can: Any stage 4 cancer will affect multiple parts of normal physiology including decreased intake of food and water that may result in dehydration.

Question 3

what are the survivor rates for stage 4 colon cancer?

Accepted Answer

Very low.: Unfortunately survival rates for any solid tumor which is stage 4 are very poor. For colon cancer survival rates longer than 5 years occur only approximately 5% of the time. The median survival for stage 4 colon cancer is ~2 years. For some with limited liver disease the rates may be significantly greater (25%). Remember these are statistics and individuals may do better or worse.

Question 4

how is it possible to have stage 4 colon cancer with no symptoms?

Accepted Answer

Information: Unfortunately many cancers, particularly those in the abdomen, do not cause symptoms until they are far advanced.

Question 5

is stage 4 colon cancer terminal ?

Accepted Answer

Not good, but: Each person is unique. Discss this question w/ the doctors involved in treatment. It's not good, but there are certainly cases that will do better than others. All life ends. Stage 4 cancer is quite advanced and life expectancy is shortened significantly. Overall health can matter a lot for how long and how good.

Question 6

what does stage 4 colon cancer mean?

Accepted Answer

It has spread: Stage 4 colon cancer involves spread to distant organs; commonly it spreads to the liver, lungs, bones, abdomen cavity. Though these patients can have long-term survival for years in most cases it is incurable.

Question 7

how long do you have with stage 4 colon cancer?

Accepted Answer

8% 5 yr survival: Nobody can tell us how long we will live. The statistics for 5 year survival with stage 4 colon cancer is 8%. This question should prompt detailed conversations with your doctors.

Question 8

how likely is recovery from stage 4 colon cancer?

Accepted Answer

Stage IV means: Distant metastases, usually to liver or lungs.  Treatment will require surgery to remove the primary cancer and some form of treatment for the mets.  Surgery if technically possible, chemotherapy, or radiation are mainstays of treatment of distant mets.  Discuss with your surgeon and oncologist all the options available.  Complete recovery might not be possible.

Question 9

how should i cope when a spouse has stage 4 colon cancer?

Accepted Answer

It is difficult: If you have a pastor, that would be a good place to start. Also the american cancer society has many resources available to you and your spouse. Consider asking your doctors for a consult with a palliative care specialist. Hospice is also a godd resource for patients and their families. Be supportive of the spouse and get help from any or all of the above resources.

Question 10

can b17 cure cancer? asked for someone with stage 4 colon cancer.

Accepted Answer

I : I wish there were a reliable cure for stage IV colon cancer, but unfortunately there is not, and vitamin b17 is most definitely not one.  Vitamin b17 is another name for laetrile.  This named was coined in the 50's in an attempt to overcome drug regulations and increase sales based on the popularity of vitamins.  Laetrile, or amygdalin as it is also called, is not a vitamin by any definition of the biochemical term.  There is no scientific evidence that laetrile or vitamin b17 has any anti-cancer benefits.  I share many patients with naturopathic oncologists who prescribe nutritional and herbal therapies, but i've yet to see any of them consider laetrile effective.

In the very special circumstance when a stage IV colon cancer patient has only a small number of metastasis in the liver only, there is a possibility of being cured by a combination of surgery and other therapies.  Most of the time in stage IV disease, the cancer has spread widely in the body and it is impossible for the body or doctors to get rid of every last bad cell.  There are however, many new and effective treatments that have significantly lengthened the amount of time patients with this disease can live and with a good quality of life.  Some of these treatments are chemotherapy.  Many people forget that one of the most effective chemotherapy drugs for colon cancer, irinotecan (camptosar), is a slightly modified form of a compound originally found in the bark of the "happy tree" (camptotheca) which grows in southern china.  Other effective treatments are special purified antibodies (which are part of our immune system).  One class of these antibodies attack specific changes in the cancer cells that distinguish them from normal cells and can stop the cancer cells from growing so fast.  Another class of these antibodies help stop the cancer cells from hijacking the normal body to build new blood vessels to feed the cancer.

More information can be found via the links below.  I wish you or your loved on the best in their struggle with colon cancer.

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Is stage 4 colon cancer curable

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Is there any help for someone in stage 4 colon cancer?

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Does stage 4 colon cancer cause dehydration ?

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What are the survivor rates for stage 4 colon cancer?

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How is it possible to have stage 4 colon cancer with no symptoms?

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Is stage 4 colon cancer terminal ?

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What does stage 4 colon cancer mean?

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How long do you have with stage 4 colon cancer?

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How likely is recovery from stage 4 colon cancer?

A member asked:

How should i cope when a spouse has stage 4 colon cancer?

A member asked:

Can b17 cure cancer? asked for someone with stage 4 colon cancer.

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