my sister is officially a stage 3 colon cancer victim

[demtenjeep]

ttps://www.democraticunderground.com/10028846743

she will have chemo every two weeks for six months

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. I am so sorry.

I know almost nothing about this cancer, but I sincerely hope the chemo has a good result.

[UTUSN]

2. Dear friend,

[furtheradu]

3. Thoughts & prayers for her & You & Family.

So sad to hear this.
Please remember to take goood Care of YourSelf, especially now.
You have Friends here, let us/me know if YOU need to vent, share, any thing. 💖

[LisaM]

4. Oh, I am sorry.

Tough news.

[Glimmer of Hope]

5. I am so sorry. I had late stage III ovarian cancer but I have been disease free for

a year and a half. I believe going to a top cancer facility can make a difference.

[demtenjeep]

6. how do they determine stage 1, II or III?

and I can't find a reliable expected years projection.

[Ms. Toad]

11. It depends on things you (and your sister) may not yet know yet.

And the survival rate/life expectancy varies quite a bit within Stage III.

Stage 3 means no metastasis beyond the lymph nodes. (Stage 1 is shallow invasion & no lymph node metastasis, Stage 2 is deeper and no lymph nodes, Stage 4 is any depth + metastasis beyond the lymph nodes).

So it sounds like they did a lymph node biopsy to label it Stage III & found metastasis. That lymph node biopsy could come before or after a colectomy. The colectomy or radiology would give an estimate for the depth. Shallower has a longer life expectancy/better survival rate; deeper a shorter life expectancy/worse survival rate.

http://www.hopkinscoloncancercenter.org/CMS/CMS_Page.aspx?CurrentUDV=59&CMS_Page_ID=EEA2CD91-3276-4123-BEEB-BAF1984D20C7

Generally they give you % alive at 5 years, rather than life expectancy (since those are inherently unreliable). That varies by sub-stage from 44% to 83%

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/prognosis-outlook-for-people-with-colorectal-cancer

My brother lived 6 months after his diagnosis last November with stage IV.

[Glimmer of Hope]

15. I learned that there are so many variables that go into those projections that don't apply to me so

I pretend they are not there! They can be depressing when you need all the positive energy you can spare.

When I was first diagnosed, I found the NCCN guidelines to be a great resource. Here is the colon cancer set of guidelines:

https://www.nccn.org/patients/guidelines/colon/index.html

[Ms. Toad]

7. Best of luck to your sister.

I've been watching the days creep toward the one-year anniversary of my breast cancer diagnosis (the 18th). I expected it - and it was only stage I, but still no fun.

[oasis]

8. May your dear sis pull through. My thoughts and prayers follow.

[spanone]

9. .....

so sorry light to her

[mvd]

10. Very sorry to hear this

Cancer really sucks. My dad has stage 4 colon cancer and is still fighting it after 3 years. He is doing pretty well. I wish it would go away, but it is being controlled. Stay positive - your sister will beat it!

[whistler162]

12. My thoughts and prayers are with you...

Remember all Colonoscopy's while a pain in the arse, literally, do help detect cancer. So wish me luck tomorrow on my next look see.

My grandmother had colon cancer in the mid 60's and survived into her 90's. May your sister be as fortunate.

[irisblue]

13. I am so sorry

I am sending light & positive energy to her and you.

[beam me up scottie]

14. I am sorry to hear this, demtenjeep.

My father survived stage 2 colon cancer, I'll be thinking of you and your sister.

[Brother Buzz]

16. I'm officially a 10 year stage 4 colon cancer survivor

And I understand it's nearly a cake walk compared to where they were a decade ago. Believe, and convince your sister to believe, and you guys can push through this, then look back at this as just a bump in the road (note: I'm not making light of your sister's condition, I'm just a strong believer in positive thinking). Never Give Up! Hugs, and all that stuff.

[Staph]

17. No.

She is not a victim. She is a cancer survivor.




I was diagnosed with stage III uterine cancer four years ago. I spent 24 hours crying and wailing and feeling immensely sorry for myself. The next day I got up and said that I'm going to get through this, to survive this. I went through surgery and chemo and radiation and then chemo again.

My oncologists and radiologist have told me that a positive attitude is one of the best ways to beat this. So you tell your sister, from another sister, that she is a survivor. Not a victim. And she will get through this. (And her hair will grow back. The one thing I never knew was that if chemo causes your hair to fall out, it means the chemo is working! Be proud and bald!)

[DFW]

19. One of our best friends is a little farther along

She is "somewhere between stage III and stage IV." So far, 3 months of chemo, then an operation, then another three months of chemo. Her situation was described as "not yet hopeless." Not the greatest diagnosis, but she is going about this with a great attitude, and no one--not her, not her husband, not her friends--is even thinking about a worst case scenario.

These days, they are fine-tuning treatment every day. It can't be easy to keep up your courage while treatment is going on, but support means everything. When my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer 16 years ago, the first thing I asked was, "OK, so what is the treatment, and how long until she's through this?" Last fall when she was again diagnosed with cancer--this time with a rare form of uterine cancer known as "the murderer," I wouldn't even give the oncologist the chance to answer the question "what are her chances?" I just asked what treatment he recommended, and how long it would hinder her travel plans.

None of this is any guarantee, of course, but positive thinking and moral support DO matter. Maybe they help release helpful cancer-fighting enzymes or hormones into the body, who knows? But never give up. Even if they tell you it's hopeless, it isn't always hopeless.

[sharedvalues]

18. Ah, bad news. Keep your head up

It's a tough disease but the treatments we have now (developed with a lot of govt funding) are much better than 10 years ago.

Stay positive for you and her. Take care of yourself.

[Granny M]

20. Sorry for this bad news.

Prayers for strength for the battle ahead. I hope she tolerates the treatment well, and she beats this thing. My son's side effects were greatly helped by cannabis.

[tavalon]

21. I am so sorry

May you and your family have the strength to fight this, the greatest of all fights.

[BostonianMagi]

22. Hang in there.

My pops was diagnosed with Stage Four. The docs removed six inches of ascending colon and something like 20 lymph nodes. They stitched him up and put him on chemo (I wish I could remember which one). Dad was never all that sick, kept all his hair, and stayed pretty healthy through the whole ordeal. He even missed only one week of 'work' while undergoing treatment, though it was not strenuous work of any sort.

To this day, seven years later, he remains cancer free.

Good luck to your sister. Be strong for her.

[malaise]

23. Damn

[Freddie]

24. My brother had Stage III Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

He just "celebrated" the 20-year anniversary of his diagnosis. And cancer treatment has improved immensely since then. Even in 1997 he was never really that sick from the chemo as they have good anti-nausea meds. Said it felt like the flu but he was able to work through the whole thing except the days he got the treatments.

[a kennedy]

25. So sorry to hear of this......

positive thoughts and prayers.

[shenmue]

26. ...

[luvMIdog]

27. hugs to you

I'm sorry for for pain and worries

[Demsrule86]

28. So sorry

[ghostsinthemachine]

29. Im stage III esophageal cancer

As we speak and, quite frankly feel better than I should. Done with chemo and radiation, waiting till mid may for removal of esophagus.

Its tough, but not the horrific situation it once was. . Get hera on smart patients.com.... Very helpful place. Caregivers too.
My ex died Christmas day from colon cancer. Stage IV at diagnosis in august. Glad your sis is not there.

[Javaman]

30. that sucks.

I wish her well.

I come from a family of cancer survivors and some not so lucky.

I know what your sister and you are going through. Be well, have hope.

[sheshe2]

31. ...

[MelissaB]

32. Oh no! I'm so sorry.