have a man in my support group who had Stage IV throat cancer 19 years ago and is still going strong. I had Stage IV cancer of my tonsils 3 1/2 years ago. I had surgery and 33 radiation treatments. I have many left-over problems with a lack of saliva and thyroid issues. And those of us who got 'hit' in the mouth, go through a lot of care to keep our teeth and jaws from crumbling.

My concern with you is that your cancer did travel. I wish you the best.

...Don. Dealing with cancer of any kind is challenging.

I don't know the answer to your question, but I think it is yes. Over the last 16 years, I have had both thyroid and breast cancer...so I have tried to educate myself about cancer. One of the things I have learned is that anything that depresses a person's immune system, for susceptible people, can open the door to cancer. In my case, it was stress and not paying enough attention to eating the right things.

Now that I am past treatment (twice) I am trying to do what I didn't before. I eat more healthily and I retired to lessen my stress. So far, so good.

In your case, I would talk to your doctor...maybe get a referral to a nutritionist...and work to build up your immune system doing what you know works for you. I know there are no guarantees, but I do think we get to choose the way we spend our time. My choice is to positively live my life.

I read a book I will recommend to you, by an oncologist named David Agus, called 'The End of Illness.' He is optimistic that we are on the brink of a cure.

Are you completely cured? I suspect not.

I have Stage IV colon cancer, with mets to the lungs. I'm on indefinite chemo. Even if it looks like it's tamped down, it might not be.

Is lack of nausea an indicator? I would say not. Most chemo treatments now are pretty good at keeping nausea down. I have practically none, even though I've been doing this second round for 8 months.

Is gaining weight an indicator? Not necessarily. I've gained a little. Some of what you get, depending on your regimen (e.g.: FOLFOX or FOLFIRI), may actually increase weight. For instance, although we've been adjusting it, my FOLFIRI regimen includes steroids (which can make you bloated/puffy) and meds delivered in glucose.

In one month? I hesitate to say no, because everyone's different, but I would be highly dubious that Stage IV lung cancer would look clear after only 30 days. That said, maybe you had a very aggressive treatment. So it might be clear for now, but I wouldn't expect that you were "cured". At best in remission.

I wish you the best, I really do. I'll turn 50 in a few weeks. I hope I make it to 57.

You can PM me if you want to talk privately.

- t

I apologize if that is what my OP insinuated. No, I fully expect a long battle with this illness. And I realize that surviving this will be difficult if not impossible. But, as I indicated in my OP if the cancer does win this battle I am prepared for that. Had a great life. Kind of feel like I got my dimes worth already.

I wish you the best with your battle with cancer. You will beat it I think. Sounds like you have the right attitude.

Take care and see you later.

Don

I was wondering how long you've had it. I can't get any approximation of how long I can expect to keep going on indefinite chemo (i.e. if they treat me like a chronic case). Doctor told me there is still a shot (albeit very small) that I can be cured, and I'm hopeful, but deep down I'm not sure I buy it.

I'm 33 by the way.

hi

can you share more with me please? your experiences, path, trials, how are you now?

i found out this week, had biopsy of liver and then colonoscopy already so kinda scared.

thanks

thanks to surgery, chemo, supplements, organic food/ cancer prevention diet

Scary year but so far I've made it through, now in good health. I was lucky bc the tumors (3) were all operable in both colon and liver. Big operation that saved my life and now I'm pretty much back to normal except for chemo side effects, which will be over soon as will chemo.

How am I now? Back on chemo. Oral chemo. Which is not necessarily a nicer thing.

I've been through radiation to shrink the original tumor, surgery (resulting in an ostomy), chemo, more surgery (hernia surgery to fix the orginal probs - still not fixed, need more but probably won't get it). Blood poisoning, chemo-induced diabetes, low-grade myeloplastic displaysia, bone marrow biopsies, lung biopsies, more and more chemo for 1 1/2 years, had a year break, now back on it again (different kind). There's probably more shit than I'm remembering.

I still have a functional life; I have a job, a home, family, can drive, and so forth. But little by little the quality of life gets whittled away. At some point I may stop chemo and just let the clock run out; chemo does no good (IMO) if it doesn't lead to a better life. But it's too early to make that decision now.

- Tab

I was always told to think of the stage as only a number and not let it define if I were going to survive or not. The fact they didn't find cancer anywhere else is positive. They watch you very closely for the first five years and for the first three years of recovery I saw my cancer doctor every three to six months. No one ever knows what cancer will do. Keep watching and taking care of yourself.

I doubt any doctor will pronounce you "cured" of advanced stage cancer so quickly.

The stage is important from the point of view that you can determine how localized it is. Stages I, II, and III are all localized, so in theory you can be "cured". I had stage III. Unfoturtunately it traveled around the body and became stage IV. Maybe an average patient is cured of stage III. I wasn't. Two years later I was rediagnosed with metastatic cancer and then the fun began.

You're right in how we don't know what it will do. I've gone past my "experation point". That's not to say I won't be dead within a year. Who knows?

Hi, it seems like I have read, and admired, your posts forever.

I am keeping my eye on the research being done at places like Roswell Park in Buffalo. They are going into trials with a very promising cancer vaccine that acts not only as a prophylactic but also attacks existing cancer cells. I believe there will be break-throughs -- perhaps they aren't imminent but they are somewhere on the horizon.

My niece had a malignant brain tumor removed. They got it all but she must take MRIs every three months. Although she is resigned to the fact that she might have a short life, I am very hopeful that she will be able to live to old age because of the research that is now in the pipeline.

I am an old guy and retired young (48) from a union auto factory(30 and Out). Sure glad I did retire young now looking back at how things turned out now that I am 58. The time I retired was a great time to spend with my kids too. My wife, the kids and I all had the same interests. Concerts, Pink Floyd, Niel Young, Car Racing, The Nationals in Indy and the Indianapolis 500 every year. Plus the Pan-Am Games which were really great. Especially the live Weightlifting. We lived in Indianapolis back then.

Again best wishes for your niece.

Don

than a younger man?

Other than that (!) he is in great shape as an ex ultra marathon runner.

Thanks.

http://www.burzynskimovie.com/

Glad you're doing well but just in case you get sick again.

I don't know why it wasn't called stage 4 because he had mets in his brain, abdomen and lungs, but he made it.

Biologist Stephen Jay Gould was diagnosed with mesothelioma when he was 40. It was considered a death sentence at the time, with half the patients dying in less than a year. But he decided to get aggressive and try experimental therapies and he ended up living another 20 years, dying of an entirely different cancer. He wrote a great article called "The Median Isn't The Message". Here it is:

http://www.stat.berkeley.edu/users/rice/Stat2/GouldCancer.html