Dad 81, has stage IV bowel cancer with mets to the liver . He hasn t responded to treatment and is now at home on long acting morphine tablets for pain. He never complains but its so awful to see him decline in front of me. He has lost weight although he is on a steroid every morning and his appetite is great. His feet got very swollen and he wear strong stockings which help. He cannot be left on his own for a minute as he often falls if he attempts to walk on his own. Confusion is more noticeable now and he is forgetful too. I m so sad, but strong enough to care and love him so much that I would really like to know what to expect and how long I ll have him realistically. Many thanks.
Hi, thanks for using Chat Doctor, I am so sorry for the pain you and your father must be in It would be impossible to tell you the exact time period that you and your father have together but in general the 5 yr survival rates for stage 4 colonic cancer is 6%- 6% of persons with this diagnosis survive beyond 5 yrs. In cancer patients there are certain signs that are often associated with the dying phase, these include:the person becomes bed bound, the person is semi comatose, able to take only sips of fluid and not able to take oral medication. In addition, the mental status may change. I hope this helps and wish you the best