Hi I’m so sorry to hear of your Dads diagnosis and the oncologist’s attitude ! I’m aged 49 stage 4 bowel have liver mets and am on chemo with a view to shrink the tumours so they can operated on to give me a chance. Now if I were you you need to get a second opinion ( could you go private as time is of the essence) . I don’t know how many mets, your Dads overall health or what kind of bowel cancer he has ( there are many ). Many drugs have been made for different kinds of bowel cancer. Don’t give up ! Fight for your right to a second opinion. Contact your MP. Best of luck ! 

Just to add I’m really shocked at the doctors attitude. Liver mets in bowel cancer can be treated for a long time. He may well respond to chemo so it’s really not on that they not even giving him that option.  Fight for your Dad, don’t give up and best of luck! X

Hello Sangeeta,

                       this is an such a hard blow to receive.You do not say but l assume the consultant has given you a full and factual explanation as to why further treatment is not possible,stating all the reasons behind this decision.If not perhaps this should be your first and urgent option to request a meeting and review.

                               Sometimes shock and grief can get in the way of a full understanding of a diagnosis,coupled to the fact that the medical team just give a flat opinion rather than an understandable picture of the known facts

                                                                l know from my own experience of a similar diagnosis,l was drowning,unable to grasp facts,and in no position to ask the pertinant questions for a good while after the initial shock.

                      If they are unwilling to refer you for a second opinion,then you need to press them in detail as to how and why they have reached that decision,

                                                                                       l wish you well,

                                                                                                               David

Hi 

Thank you  for your response.

Im sorry to hear of your diagnosis, but pleased that you are being treated.

Dad is 88 and they also found an aneurysm when they carried out the routine scan.

You’re right by saying that he may well respond to chemo, but we weren’t even given the option?

We have been told that there are too many things going on for them to deal with and if any treatment was carried out then dad may not survive and his life may shorten even more.

We have gone back to the GP and have asked for a referral to another hospital to get the second opinion.

We will not give up on dad.

I wish you well 

Best wishes 

Sangeeta

Hello David,

Thank you for your response to my post.

We have requested a second opinion from a different hospital via the GP and they have come back to the GP to say that the diagnosis has already been done and they cannot help any further.

We are now seeking another referral with a another different hospital.

The oncologist did fully explain dads condition and while they carried out the routine scan they also found an aneurysm as well.

The bowel cancer has also spread to 60% of the liver so not looking too good.

However, we still feel that we require a second opinion from a different hospital and would ask for a new scan to be done.

Its just such a shock to the family as dad at 88 has not even taken a headache tablet let alone had anything else wrong with him. So, he has done well!

Thank you for your comments and I wish you well.

Best wishes

Sangeeta

Hello Sangeeta,

                        l am sorry to hear that the cancer has spread to so much of your fathers liver.l was thinking the liver surgery would be awfully hard for someone of his age,when realising this would not be an option for someone with that degree of spread.l had 60% of my liver resected,but this was not 60% affected since there has to be a significant margin of healthy tissue taken as well.So it would seem that chemo/radiotherapy would be the only route,and then the question would be could he cope with the brutality of that.l was fighting fit holding down a seriously active  hardworking lifestyle going into my treatment and a third younger than your dad,and there is no way that l could envisage doing that at his age.

                      We are all different and l believe that we should never give up on anyone if they are prepared to take up the fight, themselves,so l wish you well in your efforts,

                                                                                                                   David