Since I see people speculating I figured I'd post this for you....
Duke's staging systems for colorectal cancer
TNM MAC* Duke's
Stage 0 Tis N0 M0 -
Stage I T1 N0 M0 A A
T2 N0 M0 B1 A
Stage IIA T3 N0 M0 B2 B
IIB T4 N0 M0 B3
Stage IIIA T1-2 N1 M0 C1 C
IIIB T3-4 N1 M0 C2/3
IIIC any T N2 M0 C1/2/3
Stage IV any T any N M1 D - Mr Snow
AJCC: American Joint Committee on cancer.
* Mucosal; above muscularis propria, no involvement of lymph nodes.
B1 Into musclaris propria but above pericolic fat, no involvement of lymph nodes.
B2 Into pericolic or perirectal fat, no involvement of lymph nodes.
C1 Same penetration as B1 with nodal metastases.
C2 Same penetration as B2 with nodal metastases.
D Distant metastases Mr Snow
Colon cancer — Five-year survival rates in a contemporary series of over 119,000 patients treated between 1991 and 2000 stratified according to the most recent modification of the TNM staging system were as follows:
Stage I (T1-2N0)— 93 percent
Stage IIA (T3N0) — 85 percent
Stage IIB (T4N0) — 72 percent
Stage IIIA (T1-2 N1)— 83 percent
Stage IIIB (T3-4 N1) — 64 percent
Stage IIIC (N2) — 44 percent
Stage IV — 8 percent Mr Snow
Adherent or invading the liver capsule (inside it) would place him here
As you can see it isn't impossible but the odds are certainly stacked against him. Without knowing what treatment he has had and failed it's hard to be more encouraging but attitude is everything and if ever there was a time to focus on a minimally stressful environment and life this would be it. I am hoping he doesn't try to come back to work and gives the "Fab" or targeted antibody meds below a try. Truly the future of cancer therapy. I have seen incredible successes in some cases.
Targeted therapies — Three other drugs that are active in metastatic colorectal cancer, called bevacizumab (Avastin®), cetuximab (Erbitux®), and panitumumab (Vectibix®) work by a different mechanism. All three are referred to as "targeted chemotherapy agents" since they are antibodies (a type of protein) that work to inhibit a protein that is important for the growth and/or survival of colon cancer cells:
Avastin binds a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). VEGF is involved in the development of a blood supply within a growing cancer; this blood supply is essential for the tumor to grow and spread. Avastin also enhance the antitumor effect of other chemotherapy drugs.
Erbitux targets a different protein, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which is found in approximately 80 percent of colorectal cancers. Erbitux is effective even if EGFR is not detected within a person's tumor, possibly because the test is not sensitive in detecting a small number of receptors.
Vectibix also targets the EGFR, but in a different way than Erbitux
If anyone wants to know more about this stuff let me know
DrD
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