Any Stage 3c-ers out there?

[Angie406]

Hi guys,

I'm feeling pretty miserable and hopeless at times with my husband's Stage 3c diagnosis. His oncologist is giving him a 50% shot of surviving this. A coin toss on my husband's life. He is 40 and it doesn't help that a new research article just came out that says the mortality of TC doubles when diagnosed at 40 or older. Since that's as bad as it gets as far as staging goes, are there any Stage 3c fighters and/or survivors out there? I don't like drawing attention to myself, but this all just seems so . . . hopeless. He just finished his second round of VIP and the chest x-ray shows "shrinkage" and his markers are dropping. We still have two more rounds to go with the next starting on March 29 and the other in approximately mid-April. Sometime at the end of April, beginning of May we'll see what the chemo did and what lies beyond chemo if it doesn't completely eliminate everything.

Thanks - I just need a little pick-me-up from somebody with such an advanced diagnosis.

~*A.

[BarclayBanister]

I'm not stage IIIC but I just wanted to wish you and your husb. the best and to keep fighting. I was over 40 when dx and I think each individual case is different so I'd throw that study out the window. If the dr. said 50% I believe it is 50%. Fight! Fight! Fight!

[val]

Hi,

I am so sorry that you going through this. My brother's was quite advanced when he was diagnosed. You will see details in my signature. Try and focus on the good points - mass shrinking and markers going down that can only be good. With regard to the age thing there is a post put up in the last few days dedicated to this topic. I know it is so hard when you going through this but try and think positively. My brother is on surveillance now and you would never guess that a little over a year and half he was so sick. Also try and remember the doctors generally go with the worse case senarios so that you are prepared so hopefully your husband has more that a 50% chance.

Take care of yourselves

[TC Destroyer]

That 50% doesn't sound right to me. I was stage 3c Pure Choriocarcinoma. I always told the docs that the statistics mean nothing to me.(if they're bad anyways)

If I make it then that that survival rate just went up a percent or two. Each advanced case is unique and it own entity. No two people get tumor in the exact same place, size and blood supply.

My wife already commented on you situation here.

The key statement is as long as the mets continue to shrink you are moving in the right direction. Remember he is on VIP due to extensive lung involvement, He More than ever needs to drink more water than usual. It is also crucial to keep him walking around through out the day. VIP has blood toxicity so clots and other blood ailments are a real threat. being practive about them is the best thing to do.

Also VIP usually causes way more nausea than BEP, so if he is tolerating it well, that shows how strong he is.

Stay positive, Find the funny in every situation.
John

[CW406]

Don't concentrate too much on the statistics and don't give too much thought to that article - we've discussed it here and there was a lot of agreement that the article did not highlight any causal link between the age and mortality, it was just instead effectively pointing out some common-sense factors.

Just stay positive and do everything, no matter how small, to make sure that you set yourself up for a successful outcome. Do the little things, like TC Destroyer mentioned, such as staying extra hydrated and keeping up activity. These are what you CAN control, so you need to focus on maximizing your efforts in these areas.

[jram303]

That article doesnt sound quite right to me as well. You have to always be carefull with thos things. I remember reading an article that said that in one clinical study, men that had the same type of tumor as me only had a 30 percent survival rate which i found out is really not the case. I was stage 3b when I was diagnosed, so not far behind, and I just had my 15 month all clear a couple of days ago. It is absolutely terrible to go through this stuff, but to echo what everyone else here has said, focus on the good things, its the positivity that will get you through this. I also wanted to add here about my friends father who was stage 3c when diagnosed with a tumor in his abdomen the size of a loaf of bread. He was diagnosed at the age of 43, and has been cancer free for 13 years now. Keep your heads up, know that here are alot of amazing and caring people here for you, dont be afraid to come to us for anything, it will only make it easier.

All the best,

Joe

[ally30736]

I wouldn't put too much stock in the 50% survival odds, lower if you are under 40. I remember when I first joined the forum, I would look at people's signatures, looking for hope in people staged worse than my husband. And very often, I found it. There are numerous people in this forum who have survived 3c. Some haven't, you can't ignore that. But be informed about this treatment, make sure every option is being pursued, and there is no reason to think treatment will be anything less than successful.

Hope the markers continue to fall, and that your situation feels a little less hopeless soon.

[wgithens]

Ally,

I'm another stage 3C diagnosis, and have had normal markers since October 2009.

As TC Destroyer said, all cases are different. Drink fluids and keep moving. I did all my treatments in patient, so if I wasn't sleeping I was walking the halls. Focus on the fact that the treatments are shrinking the tumors and lowering the numbers.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

-- Will

4xBEP
1xTI (Stem Cell Harvest)
3xTIP HDC (Sloan Kettering Trial)

[Jay68442]

I'm not 3c but after my relapse I was given the 50/50 odds and that was over 20 years ago. Stats are based on large groups not individuals. Stay strong and positive.
Livestrong,
Jason