Has anyone heard of a LC and colon cancer link?

[Andrea]

I received the following message from a friend. My gut is maybe it is two primaries. I know not all lung nodules are cancer, but 2cm is suspicous. Any thoughts? Here is what she wrote. Thanks everyone!

So I found out a week ago that my dad has colorectal cancer. Dealing with the oncologist was the most frustrating experience for me. The entire approach to treatment is counterintuative to me. There seems to be more unanswered questions than answered. He has 5-6 weeks of chem/rad then they will remove the tumor which depending on who you ask is 3-8 cm. It seems to have perforated the wall but didn't travel, thus making it stage 2. However, they didn't biopsy during the colonoscopy, endoscopy. They said the lymph and liver is fine but there was a 2 cm tumor on the lower part of his left lung. They tried to biopsy but failed. So its unclear if that is related. They "think" its unrelated. Without any data I find that hard to believe. They will do a PET scan this week which should be more informative.

[Ry]

Andrea-

I am not sure if you were on the board when Norme was a member. I seem to recall her husband had colon and lung cancer but I may be wrong.

[tiredmom959]

Hi Andrea; your question caught my eye because when my mom was diagnosed and after they had told us about the lung cancer, they described the treatment that was suggested. That was a pretty devastating time, and it's possible I'm not remembering everything perfectly, but then they said they were 99% sure the primary was lun. There was also the possibility that with cancer of the lung it could be spread from ovarian or colon being the primary. However, they had already looked at her ovaries and saw nothing, and she had absolutely no signs or symptoms of colon issues, and had a clean colonoscopy only a few years earlier.

It turned out that lung was the definite origin, however I've wondered ever since then if those cancers were related.

[Connie B]

Andrea, You might want to ask Dr. West how they would treat two cancers. I don't think it would be treated as LC & COLON (as one cancer). I would think they would treat one different then the other being they are two separate primaries. But, that would be a good question for Dr. West.

As for a group, ACOR has many many many cancer groups. I think it's www.ACOR.org

[Donna G]

The most common places for a cancer to spread to are

Liver, Lung , Bone and Brain

Donna G

[Nick C]

Andrea, I have a friend right now who has a similar issue, they found a big tumor in her fathers lung and removed the lung. The tumor looked weird (not LC primary like), so they started fishing, found a spot in the colon, removed it. The biopsy isn't back, but apparently I have heard that often a colon cancer likely spreads to the lung. Interestingly, no lymph involvemment annd they are now going the Chemo/rad route to really attack anything hiding anywhere else.

Also

I am NOT 100% sure, ,but I believe my paternal grandfather had colon primary that had spread to the lung.

[Joe B]

Andrea -- it could be a colon met. Colon cancer commonly metasisizes to the lung. Thats probably the most likely explanation.