Colon Cancer

[lou lou belle]

Dear Members

I have not been on FG for a while, my father-in-law has colon cancer so I been busy helping.

My worry is that he is 70, and has lost a massive amount of weight.
He is losing a lot of blood, which has made him really week.

He is currently in hospital, but nothing seems to be happening in respect to medical intervention. The doctor has not been very forthcoming.

I was just wondering if anyone has experience of colon cancer, I do believe that he is the last stages of the disease and its only a matter of time.

We are totally in the dark.

[spot]

I've known a couple of people with it. Both were around that age, both came out of hospital. One lived another ten years and died of something different, the other died a year or two later.

The hospital will have a note somewhere on who the patient would like the medical staff to discuss treatment and prognosis with. Sometimes it's the patient, sometimes it's a nominated family member. There will be a note on how much they've asked to be informed of. If you think those details are wrong you ought to be able to have the instructions discussed and changed. Some patients or families simply don't want to be told, some do. If Raven's around, she knows more about it than I do - you might PM her for advice, she works in that sort of area.

If you want to know and you get permission to be told, I'd have thought the things you need to ask are the stage it's reached and the intended treatment. Whether to ask or not is a family decision and your father in law really ought to have a significant say in that.

[flopstock]

That sucks eggs lou lou. I'm sorry to hear you're going through this with him.

My friend at work, her husband had it and went from being very, very sick to them now off traveling the country on vacations these days. I do think they caught it fairly early on though.

I'm not medically up on much of anything, Ravens my choice to ask also, but my thoughts are with you.

Hang tough!

[Ian]

Hello lou lou, good to see you back, obviously I wish it was on better circumstances, you should tell your doctor how you feel and explain your anxiety....

I do hope he gets better lou lou..

take care now.

[Betty Boop]

Sorry to hear your news, no experience of it no, I hope you are able to get some answers soon. Maybe Raven will have a better idea, it's quite a shady area, especially if the patient has requested that the family are not told too much.

[mrsK]

Sorry to hear your news.
I have had no experience with colon cancer.
Sending good thoughts to you & the family

[oscar]

Originally Posted by spot

I've known a couple of people with it. Both were around that age, both came out of hospital. One lived another ten years and died of something different, the other died a year or two later.

The hospital will have a note somewhere on who the patient would like the medical staff to discuss treatment and prognosis with. Sometimes it's the patient, sometimes it's a nominated family member. There will be a note on how much they've asked to be informed of. If you think those details are wrong you ought to be able to have the instructions discussed and changed. Some patients or families simply don't want to be told, some do. If Raven's around, she knows more about it than I do - you might PM her for advice, she works in that sort of area.

If you want to know and you get permission to be told, I'd have thought the things you need to ask are the stage it's reached and the intended treatment. Whether to ask or not is a family decision and your father in law really ought to have a significant say in that.

Spot on Spot. In any situation like this, no Consultant or member of Hospital staff will discuss the Patient Prognosis without the Patients Permission so i would assume that in this case, that is why the hospital will not offer up the Imformation to the Poster. Infact, when I was in Hospital myself for some period, I was specifically asked If there was anyone that I did NOT want knowing all my details and they are obliged to keep that confidentiality. One of the reasons, why any hospital will never tell you anything over the phone incase you are not who you claim to be. Perhaps the Patient does not want any-one except Immediate family knowing the details and why the hospital is not forth-coming in Imformation. Just because we may be related to a person or by marriage, does not mean we have an automatic right to know their most private Imformation. Weather the patient wants to share the Prognosis, is up to the Patient if they are of sound mind. My Father certainly did not want any-one knowing his business. In my mothers case, where the stroke left her so brain damaged, the consultants were brilliant and called all the family together for an in depth explanation as to what had happened to her and her life expectancy. I understand this is the normal Practice but If the patient is of sound mind, It's up to them who they share with.
The simplist method is to google 'Colonic cancer and Prognosis'. There will be a mass of Imformation on the web or I can reccoment the US 'Mayo Clinic' to google.
Hospitals certainly do not have a code of secrecy just to annoy relatives by marraige. Practices are in place to protect Patient Confidentiality. The Poster could try asking her Father In law if he would mind her asking for Imformation on him.
I asked my Fathers Consultant a matter on one Occassion and he told me that he needed my Fathers permission before he could tell me any more. I'm afraid, it has to be that way. Infact, If I remember correctly, my husband was even asked If they could talk to me in his absense.

LLB... It is distressing seeing our elders have cancer. From the experience with my Father, His age may be why there seems to be little Intervention. To be blunt, there may be very good reason for no Intervention as such. I know how frustrating this can be because we all like re-assurence in times like this but the blunt truth Is they will not Intervene If the Cancer has gone way too far so that medical Intervention may be of no benifit to the Patient what-so-ever. He may have other under-lying health problems that make It impossible for them to operate or offer Radiotherepy or Chemo. try googling the USA Mayo clinic that offer all kinds of explanations of various cancers If you still can not get the Imformation from the Consultant. The other alternative is to ask your FIL directly If he will give the Consultant permission to discuss his Prognosis with you. This is the USA Mayo Clinic site of Colon Cancer. You can follow the links on each page to read more.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/col...CTION=symptoms

[Skylark]

Originally Posted by lou lou belle

Dear Members

I have not been on FG for a while, my father-in-law has colon cancer so I been busy helping.

My worry is that he is 70, and has lost a massive amount of weight.
He is losing a lot of blood, which has made him really week.

He is currently in hospital, but nothing seems to be happening in respect to medical intervention. The doctor has not been very forthcoming.

I was just wondering if anyone has experience of colon cancer, I do believe that he is the last stages of the disease and its only a matter of time.

We are totally in the dark.

Sorry to hear your news!

Some doctors are not very forthcoming. It is best for the next of kin to ask direct questions to the doctor and then you all may find out what the prognosis is, if he/she has not already done so.

In my experience the patient does not always get told but the next of kin does.
There are no hard and fast rules.

[oscar]

Originally Posted by Skylark

In my experience the patient does not always get told but the next of kin does.
There are no hard and fast rules.

I'm sorry Skylark but I have to disagree strongly with you on that one. My husband was asked permission very recently If his Oncology team could speak to me by phone or whatever in his absence. I have been in my Doctors surgery and asked him of a matter of my husbands and although he is also my husbands GP, he would not tell me due to patient confidentiality. In LLB's case, if her Mother In law is alive and well, she would be the Patients next of kin anyway. If anyone would be be Informed, It would be her, not the patients son or daughter-in-law. Her Father In law has a right to Patient Confidentiality and just because he Is Ill, It does not mean that his Consultant can discuss his prognosis with any member of his family without his permission.

I also dis-agree with you that the Patient does not get told. Are you really trying to say that If a Doctor chooses not to tell his Patient how Ill he is, that's OK ??? Absolutely not. There is also Patient choice where the Patient must be given all options of treatment. That could be surgery, Chemo, Radiotherepy or If the Patient is elderly, he may choose not to under-go any treatment at all and just be made comfortable as my Father chose. Can you imagine the lawsuits piled up on the desks of Doctors from families suing the backside off them because they didn't let the patient know how Ill they were and what options were available?
I suggest you get an up to date copy of 'The Patients Charter' and read It.
Imagine the scenario as you put It where the next of kin gets told but the Patient doesn't? Let's say they are not happily married and the next of kin wants the life Insurence from their death. This leaves the next of kin with the descision to withhold Imformation from the Patient that could prolong their life. In this day and age, that is just not possible.
Oncology Departments have Liason people. LLB could ask to see the Liason personnel and express their concern and they will Liase with her FIL. Those Liason Personnel are duty bound to keep the Patient fully up to date with developments in their condition unless they are not of sound mind Ie A major stroke leading to brain damage.
Your post gives anyone reading It that Doctors play God with who and what they tell patients with a cavalier attitude. That Is absolutely not true. In many cases with cancer, the Patient may tell his consultant that he does not want to know what the prognosis Is and take each day at a time as my Sister did.
My husband survived advanced cancer and radical open surgery. He now has secondry cancer and the entire Oncology Department as they all are, can not be faulted in care and support. Your post gives totally the wrong Impression of our NHS and hospitals.

[Skylark]

Originally Posted by oscar

I'm sorry Skylark but I have to disagree strongly with you on that one. My husband was asked permission very recently If his Oncology team could speak to me by phone or whatever in his absence. I have been in my Doctors surgery and asked him of a matter of my husbands and although he is also my husbands GP, he would not tell me due to patient confidentiality. In LLB's case, if her Mother In law is alive and well, she would be the Patients next of kin anyway. If anyone would be be Informed, It would be her, not the patients son or daughter-in-law. Her Father In law has a right to Patient Confidentiality and just because he Is Ill, It does not mean that his Consultant can discuss his prognosis with any member of his family without his permission.

I also dis-agree with you that the Patient does not get told. Are you really trying to say that If a Doctor chooses not to tell his Patient how Ill he is, that's OK ??? Absolutely not. There is also Patient choice where the Patient must be given all options of treatment. That could be surgery, Chemo, Radiotherepy or If the Patient is elderly, he may choose not to under-go any treatment at all and just be made comfortable as my Father chose. Can you imagine the lawsuits piled up on the desks of Doctors from families suing the backside off them because they didn't let the patient know how Ill they were and what options were available?
I suggest you get an up to date copy of 'The Patients Charter' and read It.
Imagine the scenario as you put It where the next of kin gets told but the Patient doesn't? Let's say they are not happily married and the next of kin wants the life Insurence from their death. This leaves the next of kin with the descision to withhold Imformation from the Patient that could prolong their life. In this day and age, that is just not possible.
Oncology Departments have Liason people. LLB could ask to see the Liason personnel and express their concern and they will Liase with her FIL. Those Liason Personnel are duty bound to keep the Patient fully up to date with developments in their condition unless they are not of sound mind Ie A major stroke leading to brain damage.
Your post gives anyone reading It that Doctors play God with who and what they tell patients with a cavalier attitude. That Is absolutely not true. In many cases with cancer, the Patient may tell his consultant that he does not want to know what the prognosis Is and take each day at a time as my Sister did.
My husband survived advanced cancer and radical open surgery. He now has secondry cancer and the entire Oncology Department as they all are, can not be faulted in care and support. Your post gives totally the wrong Impression of our NHS and hospitals.

You strongly disagree with the cases that you know about but you can't possibly know what every hospital and doctor does or doesn't do. I can only say what I know.

Sometimes it is not in the best interests of the patient to know or want to know that they have cancer. In those cases the next of kin is told without his permission.

And believe me doctors do play God in some circumstances, you only have to read the papers to know that!

And you mention what options are available. Well if a patient has not got a good quality of life or old age then the options will be decreased.

The National Health Service is not a bottomless pit and many cancer patients die because of lack of funding. It is not as black or white like you think it is.

Recently there was a very ill young man who needed a liver transplant. Although he was a drinker many people though he should have a transplant but it went to someone else and he died because he was a poor risk.

My post does not give the wrong impression about the N.H.S. The reality is that there are good and bad doctors and nurses. The ones who work hard do their very best and the worst ones should be rooted out and sacked.

There are fantastic hospitals and there are failing ones. In the failing ones nurses leave their patients to starve and die. It has been in the papers!

I am glad to hear that your husband is getting the best of care and good luck to both of you!