Metastatic adenocarcinoma: Treatment and quality of life decisions

@shoop1966, welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I also added your question to the Caregivers group (https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/caregivers/) so you can connect with fellow caregivers like @IndianaScott @lah and others.

My family faced similar decisions when my father was diagnosed with late-stage colorectal cancer. They said 6 months without treatment and guessed at possibly 12 months with chemo. These of course were only educated guesses and colorectal cancer is a slow progressing cancer. This may not be the length that would be extended for your wife. Only your cancer team could make possibly estimate based on your wife's current health status and cancer progression. It is a good question to ask them.

We had the talk together as a family. Before going to the appointment to choose whether or not to have chemo, my father had decided not to have treatment. Much to our surprise, he changed his mind in the appointment with the oncologist. It was explained that he could start chemo and if he wished he could stop. That was the option he choose. We were supportive of both his original and his changed decision. After 3 months of chemo, he decided the side effects were not worth it. He stopped chemo and was with us for 10 more months, making it to my parents' 51st wedding anniversary. All in all we had 13 more months together. Whether it was 1 month or 13, it was helpful for us to talk about it.

Shoop, how are you and wife handling this news? Are you able to talk about it yet?

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Hi shoop1966: How you and your wife are doing? My prayers are with you and your family ❤🙏

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We are doing very well. My wife Aimee completed her 4th round of immunotherapy treatment yesterday. Its been a blessing that she's had very little side affects so far. All of her numbers are continuing to get better- near normal. We met with the ortho doctor last week(due to her partial hip replacement and broken bone in her arm from a Christmas fall- all good) and her X-rays showed bone growth instead of more lesions or mast which is very promising. We are just leaning on God and taking it day by day but so much better than 3 months ago. I appreciate you asking!!

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That is so awesome!!! Your story gives all of us hope. How long ago did your brother decide to stop taking treatments?

My doc diagnosed me with terminal lung cancer. The cancer spread from my lungs to my lymph nodes, left kidney and brain. I had 10 days in a row of radiation on my brain and felt like a million bucks when I was done and then COVID hit the very next day. Ugg!! I also had my first chemo treatment at the same time as radiation. My oncologist was shocked at how well my first round of chemo went. My tumors shrunk by half and some disappeared all together. I had to do 4 rounds of that medicine and by the 4th treatment I pretty much felt like I was going to die but it worked so it was worth it. Then he put me on a 'maintenance treatment' of Keytruda only and tumors started growing again so now I'm on another strong chemo regiment until I either go in remission or reach max toxicity level. This treatment I'm on now really eats up my white blood cells and side effects aren't pleasant but I have to keep fighting. My husband and kids can't bare the idea of my passing so young so I'm channeling my inner hippie to keep a positive attitude and reading my bible for strength to do all I can to preserve life until I can't anymore. I like your brothers idea of just stopping treatment and see what happens. I felt much better before I filled my body with God knows what.

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