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Aggressive appendix cancer and right hemicolectomy: Chemo worth it?
Colorectal Cancer | Last Active: Sep 8 10:01am | Replies (16)Comment receiving replies
@isadora2021
Hi- I was diagnosed with stage 4 appendix cancer (signet ring) in January 2024. After debulking, I had 10 rounds of chemo that were the worst and knowing now, that there isn’t any empirical data that shows chemo can be a beneficial treatment for appendix cancer, I could kick myself but my doctor said that’s all they had to offer with so little known about the cancer.
Replies to "@isadora2021 Hi- I was diagnosed with stage 4 appendix cancer (signet ring) in January 2024. After..."
@peacepants I’ve been reading up on your form of appendix cancer. It’s very rare, even for a rare type of cancer. I understand your oncologist’s comments better now as well as your own reservations around chemo (which together with surgery seem to be the only options available at present for signet ring appendix cancer).
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@peacepants
My understanding from my senior oncologist and my HIPEC and cytoreductive surgeon is that - under clinical trials and with world wide collated patient evidence (being a rare cancer it was a no brainer for me to sign permission for all my cancer tumour and treatment medical data to be shared with major cancer research hospitals globally) - my type of stage 4 appendix cancer (adenocarcinoma) could be effectively treated with chemo the same way as colon cancer.
Personally I credit Folfiri and Avastin for giving me heaps more time than my initial prognosis indicated by getting me to a stage where I qualified for HIPEC and cytoreductive surgery. That has been my game changer. I have been so fortunate to have been NED for 3+ years now. I was able to stay away from oxyplatin.
Treatment was very tough at times but became normal and doable (great team helping me get on top of my side effects). I am so lucky to be back to an excellent form all things considered. I know mine isn’t curable and treatment is palliative.
It’s tough how treatment affects us all so differently. My initial prognosis was awful but surgeries, chemo and immunotherapy worked for my type of stage 4 appendix cancer .
So difficult for us all 🌺🙏