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Diagnosed With Stage IV Colon Cancer. Has 12 Tumors On Liver And 3 On Two Lymph Nodes. Stomach Pains From Last Chemotherapy. Suggest?
Posted on
Fri, 9 Aug 2013
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Fri, 9 Aug 2013
Answered on
Fri, 30 Aug 2013
Last reviewed on
Question : My sister was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer with liver mets. She now has about 12 tumors on her liver and 3 on the two lymph nodes from her liver to her bowels. She is now having side pains and pains under her rib cage and now shoulder pain. We are told it is pluresey. She is on a new research drug who's side effects include liver damage or death from liver damage. She's only been on it for a week and had the stomach pains since the last chemo ended 4 weeks ago. Her CEA at last test was now at a 67 and she hasn't eaten in 2 wks except for a piece of toast each morning to take her medicine and has lost 10 lbs. I requested and got a prescription for megase which I hope helps. Is it really pluresey or has it spread to her lungs as it really hurts when she breathes deep?? Will she come back from this or is this the beginning of the end and I should get prepared??
Dear Ma'am,
Extremely sorry to hear about your sister's problems. The pain she is having while breathing can either be pleurisy (which is usually secondary to an infection) or spread of tumor to the lungs. Chest infections are quite common in patients receiving chemotherapy, as it lowers their immunity.
The only way of confirming the cause of her pain is by a getting a chest X-ray. If a x-ray is inconclusive, then she would require a CT scan.
If it turns out to be infection, it can be treated with antibiotics but if it is cancer, then the only option is chemotherapy.
In her case as the tumor has spread so extensively, experimental drugs are the only option. These drugs benefit the patients quite a bit sometimes but most of the times they are associated with severe side effects. You need to discuss the future course with your oncologist, who knows more about the experimental drug.
Hoping for the best. Please feel free to clarify any other query.
Extremely sorry to hear about your sister's problems. The pain she is having while breathing can either be pleurisy (which is usually secondary to an infection) or spread of tumor to the lungs. Chest infections are quite common in patients receiving chemotherapy, as it lowers their immunity.
The only way of confirming the cause of her pain is by a getting a chest X-ray. If a x-ray is inconclusive, then she would require a CT scan.
If it turns out to be infection, it can be treated with antibiotics but if it is cancer, then the only option is chemotherapy.
In her case as the tumor has spread so extensively, experimental drugs are the only option. These drugs benefit the patients quite a bit sometimes but most of the times they are associated with severe side effects. You need to discuss the future course with your oncologist, who knows more about the experimental drug.
Hoping for the best. Please feel free to clarify any other query.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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