Tony Snow

[bigrun]

I seldom agree with anything this guy says but really like the way he says it.
Imo, one of the best Press Secretarys in recent memory...Pray he overcomes his recent battle with cancer..

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17813246/

[GenuineRisk]

I find his contortions around press questions pretty amusing, myself, as I don't think he could give a straight answer if his life depended on it, but then, look at the Administration he's shilling for. Nevertheless, this is terrible news, and I hope for the best outcome for him, his wife, and their three little kids. May he finish out Bush's term and have many more years back at the American TASS, Fox News.

[Danzig]

depends on how involved in the liver, and i understand it's spread to other areas besides.
doesn't sound good, but he is planning to fight this as hard as he can--i heard stage four mentioned. he's determined, and i wish him well--regardless of who he works for!

it's a shame. i have only ever heard good things about tony snow, hope that he gets thru this for his familys sake as well as his own.

[randallscott35]

Originally Posted by bigrun

I seldom agree with anything this guy says but really like the way he says it.
Imo, one of the best Press Secretarys in recent memory...Pray he overcomes his recent battle with cancer..

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17813246/

Completely agree. He is a righty, but he is clearer and more concise than the usual empty suits they trot out there. Ari Fleischer made my skin crawl. He actually had trouble lying. Hello? That's in the job description no matter who the president is.

[bigrun]

Originally Posted by randallscott35

Completely agree. He is a righty, but he is clearer and more concise than the usual empty suits they trot out there. Ari Fleischer made my skin crawl. He actually had trouble lying. Hello? That's in the job description no matter who the president is.

Ari was a prince compared to that last guy, whatisname McLellan...The press corps slapped him around like red-headed step child.....Way in over his head..

[skippy3481]

I actually heard it was attached to his liver and not in it. I don't know how much of a diffrence it makes if its stage four, but that is good news either way.

[docicu3]

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

[timmgirvan]

DrD: Very Sobering stats you put up. Didn't think it was that advanced in Tonys' case. Clearly, he needs a miracle to see his kids grow up. Thanks for the info.

[Danzig]

it is sobering...the whole situation is. his mother passed away from colon cancer, so every six months he was having tests run--and still developed the disease-stage three i believe when they found it and removed his colon. and i understand that generally when you have colon cancer, the liver IS next-but his cancer has spread to other places as well, but they haven't yet said where. it is attacked to, but not inside his liver-whether that is better or worse, or has no bearing i don't know.
i know he is in the right frame of mind, wants to attack it as aggressively as possible. i also know that from what i've read, no one is suggesting that this is a death sentence, and all i've seen has said he can live for years with what he has-much like mrs edwards, her cancer is no longer curable but is treatable. i haven't seen yet that tony snows is incurable-everything i've seen to this point seems very optimistic.
what scares me is that he was on the offensive about the disease, developed it anyway-had his entire colon removed and six months chemo-and that wasn't that long ago...and he's had it recur and spread with all that aggressive treatment. very scary!

[Grits]

Danzig, did you read all of DrD's post? It reveals a great deal regarding the peril this man is in.

Would I spend my remaining time involved in every chemo/radiation treatment available?

No, I probably would not. I'd prefer, in the precious number of days that I may have--to be as clear minded as I could possibly manage, with as an acceptable level of pain as I can absolutely tolerate.

At some point, our family and our days living, being with them, mean more than the cancer. Far, far more. Mr Snow may be at that point.

Originally Posted by Danzig

it is sobering...the whole situation is. his mother passed away from colon cancer, so every six months he was having tests run--and still developed the disease-stage three i believe when they found it and removed his colon. and i understand that generally when you have colon cancer, the liver IS next-but his cancer has spread to other places as well, but they haven't yet said where. it is attacked to, but not inside his liver-whether that is better or worse, or has no bearing i don't know.
i know he is in the right frame of mind, wants to attack it as aggressively as possible. i also know that from what i've read, no one is suggesting that this is a death sentence, and all i've seen has said he can live for years with what he has-much like mrs edwards, her cancer is no longer curable but is treatable. i haven't seen yet that tony snows is incurable-everything i've seen to this point seems very optimistic.
what scares me is that he was on the offensive about the disease, developed it anyway-had his entire colon removed and six months chemo-and that wasn't that long ago...and he's had it recur and spread with all that aggressive treatment. very scary!

[Mortimer]

Thank you all so much for all of this.






It's really great.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Grits

Danzig, did you read all of DrD's post? It reveals a great deal regarding the peril this man is in.

Would I spend my remaining time involved in every chemo/radiation treatment available?

No, I probably would not. I'd prefer, in the precious number of days that I may have--to be as clear minded as I could possibly manage, with as an acceptable level of pain as I can absolutely tolerate.

At some point, our family and our days living, being with them, mean more than the cancer. Far, far more. Mr Snow may be at that point.

i read it. it would depend on what the doctor had to say. if having treatment meant more time-but pain-filled, i wouldn't go that route either. it just depends. but everyone has to make up their own mind-tony snow might look it it differently. believe me, i'm not taking a pollyanna view of this- i think he's up against it--but i hope for the best for him.
call me a cynical optimist-i think the world has gone to ish, but i'm hopeful that it will improve! i love a happy ending....

[Grits]

Morte' I hope this was a serious note from you.

I am much concerned for this man and his family. He's quite a young man to face this tragedy. And I appreciate what DrD wrote, as I've had family members (aunts and uncles) lost to colon cancer.

Originally Posted by mortimerdexterfoxworthy

Thank you all so much for all of this.






It's really great.

[skippy3481]

I disagree Grits, I think you try the therapy and see what happens. I had a cousin who developed aspergillis(sp) while on a ventilator. They gave me 0% to live. He said that everyone who has ever contracted this while on the vent had died. Gave him two weeks to live..... That was 6 years ago, and he's cancer free and doing great. Whether you call it a miracle for those who believe in god, or pure luck, I dont think you ever give up hope. It's not looking great for him but 1 in 10 live past five years. While those are horrible odds, he still has a chance.

Maybe thats just me though, I would rather fight until i was sure nothing would work.

[Mortimer]

Originally Posted by Grits

Morte' I hope this was a serious note from you.

I am much concerned for this man and his family. He's quite a young man to face this tragedy. And I appreciate what DrD wrote, as I've had family members (aunts and uncles) lost to colon cancer.

It wasn't.

But it was my opinion.



Cancer is cancer.....drowning is drowning.....heart attacks are heart attacks....suicide is suicide and murder is murder......people die at 3...some at 103.......some are famous.....most are not.....everyone knows someone close to them who has died of something...people are dying everywhere as we type......a lot of deaths are unpleasant.......




But I don't understand why people love to chit chat about it.




It's just my opinion and I won't respond in here anymore.


Now that I've said this I'm sure a safe will fall on me.

[Grits]

Not a problem.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by mortimerdexterfoxworthy

It wasn't.

But it was my opinion.



Cancer is cancer.....drowning is drowning.....heart attacks are heart attacks....suicide is suicide and murder is murder......people die at 3...some at 103.......some are famous.....most are not.....everyone knows someone close to them who has died of something...people are dying everywhere as we type......a lot of deaths are unpleasant.......




But I don't understand why people love to chit chat about it.




It's just my opinion and I won't respond in here anymore.


Now that I've said this I'm sure a safe will fall on me.

which makes one wonder why you'd enter this thread to begin with-you'd have had to realize what the topic of conversation would be.

[docicu3]

I started to answer a while ago but thought I was being too clinical in here. In trying to give you some info to put things in perspective I believe I did the post a deservice as I left out what for me as an intensivist is the crucial element. The patients will to live!!!!!

Aspergillius is not 100% lethal as the post above says was quoted but if you give up while treated your chance of dying rises enormously for reasons we have difficulty quantifying and understanding.

To some degree this disease discussion is like horse racing. The odds give you a liklihood which in some cases is not a certainty or false favorite. It is up to the caregivers like myself to provide the most positive environment possible without lying

Tonight I am starting the first night of another vigil for a dear friend who succumbed to a brain malignancy when he had a complication at diagnosis. 35 years old, no vices, fit as a fiddle, a 3 year old daughter and 1 due in in June. The stats would have given Scott at least 10 months survival without treatment . He died two weeks from diagnosis.....last Sunday night. The odds left us dumbfounded as to why.

It doesn't matter what we know or how smart we become God has his plan for us all and may we all be the beneficiary of his comfort when our time comes.

Mr Snow seems like an optimistic soul may Gods plan for him include comfort and mercy.

[timmgirvan]

Two careers I'm glad I avoided....Police and Doctors. Both take everything you have til there's nothing left! Doc: appreciate your sentiments...hope that you refresh your soul daily for the battles you face in your job.

[Grits]

Originally Posted by timmgirvan

Two careers I'm glad I avoided....Police and Doctors. Both take everything you have til there's nothing left! Doc: appreciate your sentiments...hope that you refresh your soul daily for the battles you face in your job.

Indeed, thank you DrD. Rest well.