Brief Answer:
Only if feasible

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thanks for the query. I understand your concern.

Your father has liver metastasis. He would ideally require chemotherapy.
Remember: remedy should not be worse than disease.

But you should always weigh the benefits with the risks. This has to be jointly decided by your father, the family and the treating doctor. Have a detailed discussion with your father and amongst yourselves. Frame a set of questions including what would happen if he does not receive chemotherapy at all and what are the potential side effects of chemotherapy. Discuss these issues with the doctor and then take a final decision. Once you are done with a decision, (either way) you have to make up your mind that the decision is ABSOLUTELY right.

The problem here is you would feel guilty if chemotherapy were not to be administered and he deteriorates(you would feel he would have benefited from chemo). You would also feel guilty if chemo results in severe side effects (you would feel he was better off without chemo). To have that confidence, you need to talk to him (although it may be a very sensitive issue). If you go by his decision after deliberation, you would definitely have that confidence without guilt.

Both decisions are OK. You could have guilt if the decision does not go your way. Hence take your father into confidence.

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Brief Answer:
It has to be your decision

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

I understand your concern.

The effect of chemotherapy can be assessed only after administration. You have to take a call on whether patient is better off without or with chemotherapy. This answer can be given only by YOU (or patients near and dear). The next best person would be your treating surgeon and oncologist.

You have to understand that we are not astrologers to say if you take chemo this is the result and if you do not take chemo this is the result. Medical science is NOT exact science. There are many variables. The suggestion of chemotherapy is based on usefulness in patients with nodal disease. If you ask me whether it will help every patient with nodal disease, the answer would be NO.

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Brief Answer:
Your decision

Detailed Answer:
Patient is 80 years old and probably not in the best of health.

Patient has nodal and liver metastates.

Technically requires chemotherapy. But with age and general condition against him, it would be tricky. You should make a decision based on the following
1. survival benefit with chemotherapy
2. quality of life improvement with chemotherapy
3. prevention of potential complications with chemotherapy
4. patient's ability to withstand the therapy

Patient has stage IV disease. The idea of treatment (by any means including chemotherapy) is palliative (meaning prevention or alleviation of suffering). However, in colon cancer with liver spread the prognosis is better compared to other diseases with liver spread.

Not a very accurate prediction, but chemotherapy is unlikely to offer survival benefit (more so because further surgery in him like liver resection if required would not be possible). Chemotherapy is expected to improve his quality of life. Whether it actually does that or not is speculative and differs from person to person.

I think you should have a reasonable idea to make a decision with this information.

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Brief Answer:
less than two years

Detailed Answer:
Nobody can predict survival. But generally they survive for less than two years. If disease progresses rapidly could be a matter of weeks/months or can prolong to more than two years, if progression is slow. (the disease progression varies from person to person). Survival for a few months to a year is likely in most cases.

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