Diagnosis changed again, please offer any insight you might have

Posted by hope222222 @hope222222, Apr 21, 2022

This diagnosis has taken many turns in the past few months. My husband had colorectal cancer in 2018. He had surgery and two rounds of chemo and was cancer free for almost 4 years- they were just recommending removing the port when his CEA began to tick up. Scans appeared clear, but a couple of months after the uptick, he developed sudden onset diabetes and rapid weight loss. The oncologist started to think pancreas, even though it had not lit up on the PET/CT- which can happen with small pancreas tumors. Endoscopic ultrasound revealed small mass in tail. Recommended Whipple. Mayo consult disagreed and said only Distal Pancreatectomy was needed. Then pathology decided it is not a new cancer of the pancreas, but rather a metastasis of the colorectal in the pancreas. We came out this week for surgery but new scans show more spots, small, but on lumbar 3 and adrenal. Also possibly on liver and lung, unsure. We are devastated. Surgery is no longer an option and we saw an oncologist at Mayo yesterday. Chemo and radiation, but a management, not a cure. Anyone have anything they can offer in the way of help? Thank you so much for this platform.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Colorectal Cancer Support Group.

jeffnevergivesup | @jeffnevergivesup | Apr 22, 2022

Sorry to hear you are getting so much information and no answers. Cancer is like that. Just when you are getting somewhere, a curve ball is thrown at you and your doctors.

hope222222 | @hope222222 | Apr 22, 2022

Thank you so much. We feel lost, hard to be hopeful, I though we are trying.

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Apr 23, 2022

In reply to @hope222222 "Thank you so much. We feel lost, hard to be hopeful, I though we are trying." + (show)

Hope, I agree with @jeffnevergivesup, cancer likes to throw curve balls. While this is a change, it does seem like you have some answers now having gone to Mayo Clinic. I know, they're not necessarily the answers you and your husband were hoping for. But getting a clear diagnosis of whether you're dealing with a second cancer or a metastasis of a previous cancer is really important to get the right treatment. They want to be sure that your husband gets the right chemo for colorectal cancer.

I'm bringing in other members like @virgo1952 @pjebp @wilcy @christih2 @fastrategizer @eddiebu who have experience with colorectal cancer and metastatic cancer.

Hope, did your team suggest a consult with palliative care at Mayo?