Discontinuing Treament – Not Sure Why

Dear Aida, I have been thinking about you and wanted to know if Dad was doing any better. While we are not Doctors or professionals we do have a good understanding of this disease and what to expect. You have done all the right things and the best move was to call in Hospice. If Dad was unable to walk about and is getting so frail he probably could not make a trip outside your city to visit a new Doctor or Clinic. As we always say, comfort is key and you have done it well. My prayers and best wishes are going out to you. Be strong.

Aida, please ask Hospice to give Dad something for the swallowing. Is he on Oxygen? I found that when Teddy went on Oxygen he just felt better. Is Dad on enough pain meds? Comfort is now the key word here.

Dear Aida, I am so very sorry to hear of your Father’s turn of events. Calling Hospice was a good thing to do and they will see to it that he is very comfortable. That is the bottom line for now. Try giving Dad Carnation Breakfast shake. Comes in different flavors and goes down easy. You can also blend it with fruit. It serves as a whole meal if he is not eating much else. Good luck on everything and please keep us advised on how he is doing.

Dear Aida, welcome to our wonderful family but sorry you had to join us. I feel also that 2nd or 3rd opinions are in order here. I agree with Nancy that unless Scans were taken how can the doctor know if the chemo worked or not!! On our Discussion Board page is a Category for Hospitals and you may want to look there to see if anyone gave some suggestions for Michigan. And at the top of every page is a search engine where typing in any word will pull up a lot of posts on the subject you are wondering about. Good luck and please keep us posted.

Hi,
Your dad is only 54 years old,it is too young to give up for just trying the 1st-line regimen without considering other alternative treatment plans unless he is too weak or too advance into the disease. If I were you,I will do the following;

1.Find out the CT Scan result(you should have one 3 month after the !st chemo and the last lab results,) eg.CEA,CA19-9,liver enzymes ;then compare them to the one in October,the one before the chemo starts. All these reports can be obtained through the hospital or his/her office where your oncologist practiced.
2. google for the definitions to understand the medical terminology in the reports and therefore you will have a better picture about your dad’s condition
when you talk to the doctors.
3.obtain your dad’s permission and get medical records from the hospital to find out the reasons why the oncologist had to terminate the treatment and did not proceed with other treatment plans instead of hospice.(it should be appear on the” progress notes” on the date that the decision was made to your dad.);or you can ask the oncologist or your primary doctor politely and directly for the explanation.
4.Ask your dad’s primary doctor or healthcare provider(insurance co,hospital) to refer him to hospitals which familar with CC (eg like Mayo or MD Anderson) for other treatment options even if you are satisfied with the primary and oncologist explanations.
by the way,ascites or edema is not a reason for discontinuing chemo treatment;reaction to one chemo regimen does not mean your dad will react to all other regimens;and of course,besides systemic treatment(chemo) there are radiation therapy too.
I hope the info. helps.

Aida – Unless your Dad had a scan to see if his tumors are increasing or decreasing, how could the doctor say the chemo was not working? Since your Dad apparently had a reaction, perhaps the oncologist just wants him to take a break from chemo. I would question the oncologist about alternative chemo drugs, radiation, or surgery. Jim is right….try one of the larger cancer centers, even if it means a bit of a trip. Best wishes – Nancy