Your mother-in-law has been diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer she is 73 she hasn't been offered anything except for chemotheraphy tablets what would her prognosis be?

Answer 1

The best source of information about your mother-in-law's specific diagnosis is her oncologist. If your mother-in-law is in agreement, ask for a family meeting that should include the oncologist, your mother-in-law, and any immediate family members that want a better understanding of what is happening and what they might expect next. A social worker or compassionate nurse is often used in these meetings to assist the family in understanding some of the more emotional issues that may arise. As far as understanding what a diagnosis of Stage IV colon (now called colorectal) cancer might involve, here is a brief overview. Although there are different ways of classifying the progresssion of colon cancer, The American Joint Committee on Cancer has introduced the TNM (Tumor, Node, Metastasis) staging system, which classifies the development and possible spread of the cancer into one of four stages (Stage I-IV). Briefly, in Stage 1 the cancer has begun to spread, but is still contained within the inner lining of the colorectal area. By Stage 2, the cancer has spread to other nearby organs, but has not yet reached the lymph nodes (which can transport the cancer throughout the body). At Stage 3, the cancer has infected the lymph nodes, but has not yet been carried to other parts of the body. In Stage 4, the cancer has been spread to other distant parts of the body via the lymphatic system (this is known as metastasis). The most likely organs to experiece metastasis from colorectal cancer are the liver and the lungs. The American Cancer Society has a list of questions that your family may want to ask your mother-in-law's doctor to better understand what Stage IV means and what you might expect in the days and month's ahead. Here is the site: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_2_5x_what_are_some_questions_i_can_ask_my_doctor_10.asp?sitearea= Good luck to your and your family. http://www.oncologychannel.com/coloncancer/staging.shtml http://www.cancerstaging.org/mission/whatis.html