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Is Folfiri Chemotherapy Effective For Treatment Of Bowel Cancer?

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Posted on Fri, 5 Dec 2014
Question: Is it worth taking the chemo , folfiri, for bowel cancer ? Them primary tumor is removed but recently a liver met and node met was seen .

Initially he had xeloda for 4 cycles before this was detected , would this mean xeloda was ineffective ?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Monish De (21 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
FOLFIRI is the treatment of choice

Detailed Answer:
Hi

Since the bowel cancer has now spread to liver and node FOLFIRI chemotherapy is the treatment of choice now.

Treatment with FOLFIRI will increase overall survival by 2 years.

Xeloda treatment was ineffective and after he was treated by 4 cycles the tumour still progressed and spread to his liver and nodes.

Side effects of FOLFIRI chemotherapy is diarrhea and anaemia.

Regards

DR DE
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Monish De (1 hour later)
Hi, I have provided some attachments. Please review them.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Monish De (14 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
The tumour has spread to other regions

Detailed Answer:
Hi

I have gone through the report.

The bowel cancer has now spread to the liver and aortocaval nodes and are new findings meaning that the disease has now progressed.

Palliative second line chemotherapy with FOLFIRI should be started immediately to prevent the tumour spreading to more regions.

He has to take minimum 6 cycles of FOLFIRI chemotherapy at 14 days interval followed by a PET scan to see whether the tumour has been controlled and it has not spread to further regions.

If after 6 cycles disease is controlled then he will need further 6 cycles follwed by another PET scan.

If the disease remains under control after 12 cycles then 3 monthly follow up with PET scan is necessary.

If the disease progresses then third line chemotherapy needs to be planned.

Regards

DR DE
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Monish De (18 minutes later)
What I don't get is that with 1 node
And 1 met can nothing other be done ?
Eg resection or ablation ?

Is prognosis better with small
Volume ?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Monish De (9 hours later)
Brief Answer:
resection after chemotherapy.

Detailed Answer:
Hi
Folfiri chemotherapy will help in reducing the size of the tumour that has spread to his liver and in turn help in resection.
As tumour volume is small, prognosis is better and after resection he will be able to live more than 5 years.
Regards
Dr de
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Monish De (1 hour later)
But the met in liver is only 16 mm is that not small enough. ?

They says due to node involved . There prob is cells floating about so need to target them.

Can resection not be done despite the node?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Monish De (10 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
less than 10 mm

Detailed Answer:
Hi
The metastasis in liver has to reduce to less than 10 mm for the resection to take place.
The node is also involved.
Chemotherapy will help in reduction of the size of metastasis in liver and also abolish the tumour that has spread to the nodes.
Once the liver metastasis becomes less than 10 mm it can be easily removed by resection.
Regards
Dr de




Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Monish De (3 hours later)
Oh ok I see . So best to get the met removed then ? Would the chemo
Completely abolish the liver met ?

Also could
More mets still
Appear while he is having folfiri or the met bad node grow more ?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Monish De (4 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Size reduction or abolition of mets

Detailed Answer:
Hi

Yes the chemotherapy will reduce the mets size or it may abolish the mets totally.

Once FOLFIRI chemotherapy is started more mets will not appear and the existing mets will be reduced in size so that it can become resectable.

Regards

DR DE
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Ashwin Bhandari
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Monish De (1 hour later)
Ok. I feel better bit now . I thought for these 2 mets survival may be around 12-24 months ?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Monish De (13 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
More than 5 years

Detailed Answer:
Hi

If the mets can be resected then survival will be more than 5 years.

90% of patients respond to FOLFIRI chemotherapy.

Regards

DR DE
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Monish De (45 minutes later)
What if
The mets get small with chemo but not resected yet for some or just ablated ? What prognosis then approx?

doctor
Answered by Dr. Monish De (15 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
around 2 years

Detailed Answer:
Hi

If the mets get small with chemo and not resected but just ablated then average survival time will be around 2 years.

Regards

DR DE
Note: For further queries related to kidney problems Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Monish De

Oncologist

Practicing since :2004

Answered : 2229 Questions

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Is Folfiri Chemotherapy Effective For Treatment Of Bowel Cancer?

Brief Answer: FOLFIRI is the treatment of choice Detailed Answer: Hi Since the bowel cancer has now spread to liver and node FOLFIRI chemotherapy is the treatment of choice now. Treatment with FOLFIRI will increase overall survival by 2 years. Xeloda treatment was ineffective and after he was treated by 4 cycles the tumour still progressed and spread to his liver and nodes. Side effects of FOLFIRI chemotherapy is diarrhea and anaemia. Regards DR DE