[jrochkind1]

I guess the question is if the scan makes a difference in intensity of treatment, if people who got a colonoscopy had fewer surgeries or fewer/less radiation. It doesn't say, I think? It's not at all obvious it would.

(In general, one would think people who got the colonoscopy got more treatment -- in this case despite having no lower a death rate -- but perhaps it does not include as much intense treatment).

[ChrisMarshallNY]

In my friend's case, it was Stage IV, before it was found.

That may have had something to do with him not getting a gerbillcam until he started having symptoms.

I will say his treatment wasn't fun, at all, although he'll be OK, in the long run (but chemo never leaves you the same).

[sillystuff]

> chemo never leaves you the same

For the chemo your friend likely experienced, this is especially true.

Colorectal cancer is often treated with the chemo cocktail, FOLFOX. The "OX" stands for oxaliplatin which causes nerve damage-- hearing loss (less than cisplatin, though), peripheral neuropathy, etc. The second half-life, in the body, of oxaliplatin is 535 months (44 years). And, the platinum remains in a reactive form.

I'd love to hear a professional chime in on if there are ways to speed the elimination. E.g., something like extended/extreme fasting (to free oxaliplatin from tissues) + sodium thiosulfate + blood plasma donation, or something?

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2559818/

Some choice quotes from the link:

"The first elimination half-life (t1/2) for cisplatin was 5.02 months and the second 37.0 months. For oxaliplatin, these half-lifes were 1.37 and 535 months."

"...it was shown that Pt species in pUF were still present in a reactive form."

Edit: just submitted the above article:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33154606

[hef19898]

IMHO it is chemo and the fact you very seriously face the prospect of an ugly, and lengthy, death that changes you. You and your loved ones, it affects everyone, I know it does.

Good for your friend to be on the way of recovering!