Dear Pam I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your beloved Tracey. This is an awful disease and no one on the journey knows where it will lead. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Carole ... View more

Hi Thanks for your message and apologies I have not responded sooner. am glad to hear you are doing well. Yes as you say we are all different and I am so grateful for each day. Having been initially given less than 3 months,8 months on I am still her and have just returned to work having moved to maintenance chemo. My CEA was 250 when I started this journey and at last test 3 weeks ago was 3.3. All tumours have shrunk significantly. So here's to continuing to fight tis disease and hanging in there until a cure is found which I am sure is not that far away with the new stem cell treatments around. Take care. ... View more

Hi Thanks for your message and apologies I have not responded sooner. am glad to hear you are doing well. Yes as you say we are all different and I am so grateful for each day. Having been initially given less than 3 months,8 months on I am still her and have just returned to work having moved to maintenance chemo. My CEA was 250 when I started this journey and at last test 3 weeks ago was 3.3. All tumours have shrunk significantly. So here's to continuing to fight tis disease and hanging in there until a cure is found which I am sure is not that far away with the new stem cell treatments around. Take care. ... View more

Hi Thanks for your message and apologies I have not responded sooner. am glad to hear you are doing well. Yes as you say we are all different and I am so grateful for each day. Having been initially given less than 3 months,8 months on I am still her and have just returned to work having moved to maintenance chemo. My CEA was 250 when I started this journey and at last test 3 weeks ago was 3.3. All tumours have shrunk significantly. So here's to continuing to fight tis disease and hanging in there until a cure is found which I am sure is not that far away with the new stem cell treatments around. Take care. ... View more

Thanks for your response. I have been told that my colon is resectable however is it not causing a blockage or having an impact on my bodily functions so they will leave it and only operate if it causes an issue - perhaps that is why your husband and the others have had operations as it was causing a blockage or other issue? My specialists told me they will only offer Sirt/chemoemobilzation if all chemo options have been tried and fail as the aim is to prolong life for as long as possible and using the last line options can in some instances cause more harm than good and after using the treatments there is nowhere left to go in terms of radiation. Having researched on the web though it seems that no two surgeons say the same thing and that all over the world different treatments are conducted. I am not sure if you have heard about the US research of grapeseed extract which has been shown to be effective at low doess in last line treatment of colon cancer with liver mets. The research had not been conducted in conjunction with chemotherapy but the Adelide University recently released research whereby the used grapeseed alongside chemotherapy in petri dishes and showed that it did not affect chemotherapy and in fact reduced side effects. They are now looking to go to human trials. Grapeseed etract can be bought in heath shops and I was taking it until chemo started when my oncologist asked me to stop taking it as they did not know how it would interact with the chemo. I am tempted once I move to maintenance chemo in a month or so to start taking it again and see what happens! Hope you have good news from your second opinion. Carole ... View more

Hi Would love to hear how you go. I have been advised pretty much the same - mets in liver too extensive to operate and will not operate on colon unless liver can be resected. Sought a second opinion which was the same - apparently they need to sections connected without tumours to be able to operate and I do not fall in to that category although my tumours have shown good shrinkage. CEA is down to 6.6 from 250 after 10 Folfox/5FU - Avastin sessions. I moved from a conservative specialist to a more aggressive one. They also said no radiation as liver is very sensitive and using the chemoemobilization or treatment direct to liver tumours is a last line option once chemo works. My specialist said that the must do no harm and any other treatment at this stage would cause more harm than good so whilst chemo is working to continue with it. Keeping my fingers crossed you get better news. ... View more

Hi I am on 5FU with Avastin so 48 hour infusion at home. I have had 10 sessions now with starting CEA of 250 but down to 6.6 today. I have had few blips along the way - due to have chemo today but neutrophils/white blood cell count too low so delayed for a week. They will not operate on the colon while the liver is unresectable and I have been told this week that I will never be a candidate for resection because of the location of the mets and other issues with the liver. So for me it will be 2 more treatements of 5FU then move to maintenance chemo - tablet form for 3 weeks and on 4th week Avastin to keep the CEA level low and maintain the tumours at their current size. I wish you good luck and that you prove the surgeons wrong - I myself am working on that! ... View more

Hi Ron Sorry I have take so long to reply. Your message was an inspiration and gives me hope. I have been told that they will never be able to operate on my liver unfortunately so will not operate on the colon either. The past few days amazing advancements in treatment using the bodies own immune system to reject the cancer have been announced in other cancers in the UK and US so I am remaining ever hopeful that there will be a cure soon. In the meantime we will continue with chemo for as long as it works. It is encouraging that you have now been 15 years since diagnosis with no return of the cancer - may it remain that way always. Take care, Carole ... View more

Hi Ron Sorry I have take so long to reply. Your message was an inspiration and gives me hope. I have been told that they will never be able to operate on my liver unfortunately so will not operate on the colon either. The past few days amazing advancements in treatment using the bodies own immune system to reject the cancer have been announced in other cancers in the UK and US so I am remaining ever hopeful that there will be a cure soon. In the meantime we will continue with chemo for as long as it works. It is encouraging that you have now been 15 years since diagnosis with no return of the cancer - may it remain that way always. Take care, Carole ... View more

Dear Ron sorry I have not responded sooner. Stories like yours are so inspiring. I have been a bit down as I have been told that my liver issues are too complex and I will never be a candidate for surgery so my survival relies purely on chemo. Fortunately it is shrinking the tumours and CEA is coming down so I am hopeful. So far have had 7 treatments the 7th today and if it was not for the cancer you would call me strong and healthy! So positivity, diet and chemo I believe will get me through this! I wish you continued good health Regards Carole ... View more