Knowing your options and what to expect can help you develop a treatment plan.
What Is Stage 4 Colon Cancer?
Stage 4 colon cancer is the most advanced stage of the colon cancer.
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It is also known asmetastatic colon cancer.
By definition, stage 4 colon cancers are those which have traveled beyond the colon (metastasized).
There are several different regions in which this occurs.
Not all stage 4 colon cancers are alike, so sometimes statistics regarding survival can be misleading.
If colon cancer has spread to the lung, it can cause shortness of breath.
Many people with stage 4 cancer also experience anxiety and depression.
Managing Colon Cancer Symptoms
Symptoms of stage 4 colon cancer can often be managed with medications.
Constipation can be treated with stool softeners and laxatives.
Weight loss can be managed with nutritional support, including a feeding tube.
Fatigue from anemia can be treated with iron supplements and blood transfusions.
Pain is often a big concern for people with stage 4 cancer.
However, it can almost always be treated.
People can live many months and even years with stage 4 colon cancer.
The most common site to which colon cancer spreads is the liver (liver metastases).
Prognosis refers to the possible course of the disease and how much time you have to live.
Some people want very specific information regarding how long they might live with stage 4 colon cancer.
Other people prefer not to know these details.
Some people live much longer than expected.
Others live for a shorter time.
Your healthcare provider may give you a range of time that they expect you to live.
This is their best guess, which is based on your particular case.
What Does Your Family Want to Know?
Other family members may find this information very upsetting.
They may not want to hear it.
This way, everyone on the healthcare team will be on the same page during appointments.
Being diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer can make you feel out of control.
In addition, survival statistics are, by definition, always a few years old.
It’s important to understand this changing course of cancer medicine when you make your decisions.
More people are living longer with stage 4 colon cancer than ever before.
The advent of new treatments is a double-edged sword.
These newer treatments can extend life and provide options not available just a few short years ago.
It’s important to learn all you might about your cancer.
Hospice Care
It can be difficult to bring up a discussion abouthospice care.
Cancer patients and their families may hope to protect each other by ignoring this discussion.
Even healthcare providers are reluctant to bring up the issue.
With hospice care, people are still treated.
Many people admit that after choosing hospice care, they wish they had done so earlier.
If you live beyond the six months period, that’s wonderful!
Hospice care does not mean you are giving up hope.
And palliative care specialists are often called upon to help people cope with symptoms of the disease.
Of course, the most important member of your cancer care team is you.
If you have chosen to stop treatment, expect people to respect your decision.
That said, reach out to your friends and family for support.
American Cancer Society.Survival rates for colorectal cancer.
Ohio State University.Colon cancer stages.
National Cancer Institute.Metastatic cancer: when cancer spreads.
National Cancer Institute.Colon cancer treatment (PDQ)health professional version.
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