How a 79-Year-Old Patient with Colorectal Cancer, Liver and Pleural Metastases Turned a "3-Month" Prognosis into 45 Months of Good Health | Patient Story

From childhood to adulthood, my father has always been my hero. At 79, he was unfortunately diagnosed three years ago with advanced colorectal cancer and multiple liver metastases. Despite multiple recurrences after surgery, he never considered giving up. Instead, he bravely embarked on a relentless battle against advanced cancer: undergoing 41 chemotherapy sessions, 2 open surgeries, 4 ablations, and 1 incisional hernia repair... Behind every treatment lay pain and suffering unimaginable to most.

Having accompanied him through every treatment, I know firsthand how chemotherapy side effects and post-surgical recovery drained his energy, not to mention the cycle of hope and disappointment, which required immense willpower to endure.

On September 28, while accompanying him to the hospital for an MRI, I watched him calmly sign his name and press his fingerprint at the nurse's station. The warm early autumn sunlight gently enveloped him, making his silver hair shine particularly bright. The image of him repeatedly refusing to yield to cancer's threat flashed before my eyes. To me, his resilience outshines the sun and will forever glow brightly.

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Submitted by | Renjian Siyuetian
Edited by | Chanchan
Reviewed by | Guangguang

「 I. Diagnosed with Colorectal Cancer on Little New Year's Eve: "At Most 3 Months" 」

My father has always been strong-willed. With only two years of formal education, he relied on his meticulousness to work as a production team custodian for years. Even at 76, he still carried a hoe to the fields, never complaining about aches or pains. It wasn't until January 2022, when days of severe abdominal pain left him unable to stand straight, that he finally agreed to let us take him to the hospital.

After four days of IV fluids, his abdominal pain eased, but a blood test revealed anemia. Panicked, my husband insisted on further checks. A stool test showed occult blood positivity, leading to enhanced abdominal CT, liver MRI, colonoscopy, and genetic testing.

On January 27, the day before Little New Year's Eve, the reports came in: Abdominal CT and MRI both indicated "colorectal CA with liver lesions", colonoscopy pathology showed "colon adenocarcinoma", and genetic testing revealed a KRAS G12V mutation, with no MSI-H/PD-L1 expression detected. TPS was negative, TPS＜1%; PD-L1 CPS was positive, CPS≥1 (CPS=1).

The gastroenterologist called us into his office and said gravely, "Colon adenocarcinoma with widespread liver metastases. Based on the genetic results, immunotherapy is unlikely to help. Given his age, he has at most three months. Please prepare yourselves."

"Three months". Helplessness and despair instantly overwhelmed me. I couldn't believe my once-robust father had late-stage cancer! I crouched in the hallway crying, frantically asking every acquaintance, doctor, and expert I could think of. The answer was always "no hope." Through blurred tears, my husband gripped my hand. "Don't cry. Even if it's only 30 days, we won't accept it! We won't ask for ten or twenty years; let's just fight for three first!"

Having never been hospitalized before, my father sensed something was wrong within days. That night, we couldn't hide it, so we softened the truth: "There's a small lump in your intestine; we'll remove it. There are some faint shadows on your liver that need gradual care." He nodded, not wanting to worry us, but the sadness in his eyes showed he likely guessed the reality was far more serious than our comforting words.

To save him, we had to find the best doctors. We decided to go to Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center ("FUSCC") for a chance at survival. Early the next morning, we drove from Shaoxing to Shanghai through a snowstorm. Snow pellets hit the windshield, sounding like they were striking my heart. In the bitter winter cold, I clutched his medical records, my palms sweating profusely.

「 II. 5 Cycles of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy to Secure a Surgical Opportunity 」

Director Chen from the Medical Oncology Department at FUSCC was our first ray of hope. Reviewing his records and scans, he said, "Let's start with neoadjuvant chemotherapy to shrink the lesions and aim for surgery." This brought us some relief.

The final plan was set: Oxaliplatin 200mg + Capecitabine, on a three-week cycle. We would do a few cycles first, then reassess for surgery. However, a complication arose: my father had hypertension and a history of pulmonary embolism, and had been taking rivaroxaban for anticoagulation, posing a bleeding risk. Director Chen decided to stop rivaroxaban and switch to daily subcutaneous low-molecular-weight heparin injections, closely monitoring his temperature, blood pressure, and stool.

In February 2022, my father began his first chemotherapy at FUSCC. Watching the IV drip, I felt both fear and hope. He calmly said, "I'm strong, I can handle it." Fortunately, he had minimal side effects, which we took as a good sign.

After two cycles, Shanghai's pandemic controls tightened in March, making travel difficult. The remaining chemotherapy had to continue at Shaoxing People's Hospital. We communicated extensively with the local doctors, strictly following FUSCC's protocols: daily injections, monitoring indicators, terrified that any mistake might cost us the surgical window.

From January 30 to April 30, over three months, my father successfully completed five preoperative chemotherapy cycles, bringing us one step closer to surgery.

「 III. First Surgery: Open Abdomen and Simultaneous Liver-Intestine Resection at Age 76 」

As planned, my father was supposed to go to Shanghai in April for surgical evaluation, but the FUSCC operating room was temporarily closed due to unforeseen circumstances. With the May Day holiday approaching, we went to The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine ("Zhejiang First Hospital") with a sliver of hope. Fortunately, Director Xu from the Colorectal Surgery Department agreed to admit him. After consultation with Director Bai from the Hepatobiliary Surgery Department, they proposed an open surgery to simultaneously resect the colon and liver lesions in one procedure.

This plan pushed our family to the edge of a "life-or-death" cliff. "Take the gamble? At 76, with hypertension and pulmonary embolism, can he survive a major open surgery to remove parts of his colon and liver? Play it safe? Remove one part first, but the remaining lesions might grow rapidly, possibly eliminating future surgical chances..." Conflicting voices echoed in my head.

I barely slept that night. Growing more anxious, I turned to a patient support group on WeChat for advice. Before finishing their shared experiences, I sent his records and a video of him climbing stairs to Director Pan from FUSCC's Liver Surgery Department overnight. In the video, his steps were steady, unlike a patient's. Director Pan replied: "His physical condition is good. I recommend the simultaneous resection." My heart finally settled.

On the day we decided on surgery, I knelt by his bed and tried to sound casual: "The doctor says one surgery can fix everything, saving you from suffering twice." He patted my head: "I trust you, and I trust the doctors."

At 7 AM on May 12, 2022, my father was wheeled into the operating room. We waited outside from dawn till dusk. For 10 hours, I counted the floor tiles, replaying the doctor's warnings of "anesthesia risk," "bleeding risk," and "infection risk" in my mind. When the nurse finally pushed the bed out, my father's face was pale, tubes everywhere, yet he managed to whisper: "We... won." I threw myself onto the bed, tears falling on his hand. In that moment, his bravery dissolved all my fear and anxiety, leaving only heartache and relief. "My father, he really pulled through."

Later, reading the surgical summary, I learned the procedure removed a 10cm segment of intestine, 4 liver lymph nodes (3 in segment S4, 1 in S6), and performed radiofrequency ablation on a lymph node lesion near the gallbladder in segment S5. Post-surgery, the doctor prescribed two more cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy with Oxaliplatin 200mg + Capecitabine.

[Father walking briskly after surgery]

「 IV. Post-Surgical Turmoil: A False Alarm of Misdiagnosis and the Emergence of an Incisional Hernia 」

In mid-June 2022, my father was discharged smoothly. Considering the trauma of open surgery, we arranged an ambulance to transfer him to Shaoxing Municipal Hospital for nursing care. After discharge, we hired a live-in caregiver, while my sisters and I took turns shopping and preparing meals. We made nutritious dishes daily: multigrain porridge with steamed egg for breakfast, steamed sea bass with broccoli for lunch, and skimmed pork rib soup with spinach for dinner, hoping he would recover quickly.

[Father eating breakfast in the ward]

On June 25, he received his first post-op chemotherapy at a local hospital in Shaoxing, along with a full abdominal CT. The report suggested a "new liver lesion," which panicked me again. Only a month post-surgery, how could there be a new lesion?

Calming down, my husband and I analyzed the surgical records and estimated the lesion's growth rate, suspecting it might be post-ablation scar tissue. We planned a follow-up at Zhejiang First Hospital on July 7. Comparing pre-op imaging, surgical records, and discharge summaries, the doctor initially suspected scar tissue but recommended an enhanced MRI for confirmation. Coordinated by the doctor, the scan was done a week later, but the report still indicated a "new liver lesion." Our family's hearts sank again.

With lingering anxiety, we refused to give up and asked Director Zhong from the Radiology Department at Zhejiang First Hospital to review the scans again. He finally confirmed it was post-surgical scar tissue from the radiofrequency ablation near the gallbladder in S5. The moment we heard this, we felt an immense weight lift off our shoulders. It turns out "a false alarm" is the happiest phrase in the world.

The peaceful days didn't last long. In early September, visiting my father, I noticed his lower abdomen was unusually bulging. Though he smiled and said, "Maybe I've been eating too much and gained weight," it didn't look right. I immediately took a photo and consulted a doctor, who replied: "Likely an incisional hernia post-open surgery. Recommend wearing an abdominal binder 24/7 and seeing Director Shen at Zhejiang First Hospital's Gastrointestinal Surgery Department." On September 16, my father underwent a laparoscopic tension-free repair for the abdominal wall incisional hernia at Zhejiang First Hospital. The surgery went smoothly, and we finally felt completely at ease.

「 V. Liver Recurrence: 4 Ablations, 12 Chemotherapy Cycles + Targeted Therapy 」

Life's hardships often strike without warning. In January 2023, my father "relapsed"—a routine checkup revealed a liver lesion. The doctor decided on a chemotherapy + targeted therapy regimen: Irinotecan 240mg + Raltitrexed 4mg + Bevacizumab 500mg, on a three-week cycle. Over the next four months, he underwent 6 chemotherapy cycles.

During this period, Director Jiang from the Ultrasound Medicine Department at Zhejiang First Hospital performed 4 liver ablations for him: Jan 27, radiofrequency ablation of 3 lesions in S3, S5, S8; Sep 5, laser ablation of 1 lesion near the gallbladder in S5; Sep 21, laser ablation of 1 lesion in S1; Nov 1, liver radiofrequency ablation + cryoablation of a liver lesion.

During the Nov 1 ablation, three hypoechoic nodules appeared near the S8 ablation site. The doctor judged it as another recurrence and adjusted the regimen to: Oxaliplatin 200mg + Raltitrexed 4mg + Bevacizumab 500mg. From Nov 2023 to late Feb 2024, my father completed 6 more chemotherapy cycles.

During that time, my father spoke less, sometimes sitting by the bed staring out the window, murmuring, "Why won't it just get better?" Holding his hand, I tried to smile: "Dad, the cancer cells are just testing our patience. If we outlast them, we win."

「 VI. Second Open Surgery: Right Hepatectomy and Cholecystectomy 」

On June 1, 2024, an MRI follow-up (hepatobiliary MR plain scan + diffusion 3.0T and contrast-enhanced ultrasound) showed: Two nodules at the lower edge of the right liver, measuring approx. 1.5*1.2cm and 1.8*1.5cm, with unclear boundaries. Director Zhong reviewed the scans and determined ablation was no longer suitable.

Later, my father was admitted under Director Shen from the Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Department at Zhejiang First Hospital. On June 27, 2024, he was wheeled into the operating room again—this time for another open surgery, removing the right half of his liver, his gallbladder, and lesions found intraoperatively in the left liver and caudate lobe.

Post-op pathology showed "adenocarcinoma infiltration or metastasis in liver tissue", meaning more chemotherapy was needed. From August to December, he underwent 7 more chemotherapy cycles with the regimen: Bevacizumab 500mg + Capecitabine.

[Father hospitalized for chemotherapy]

Before each chemotherapy cycle, blood tests showed "stable indicators." Doctors even praised, "It's rare for an 80-year-old to maintain such levels." Behind this was our family's nutritional support and my father's gritted-teeth perseverance.

「 VII. Pleural Metastasis: 15 Chemotherapy Cycles + Targeted Therapy 」

Having accompanied my father through surgeries, recurrences, and countless chemotherapy cycles, I thought the hardest trials were behind us. But fate played another unexpected trick. In January 2025, he began coughing frequently. A contrast-enhanced chest CT revealed 3 right pleural nodules, and pleural fluid analysis showed carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) > 15000. My father had "relapsed again", this time with pleural metastasis. The doctor could only initiate a third-line treatment.

On Jan 17, he first received intrathoracic cisplatin perfusion + Bevacizumab infusion. On Feb 4, a CT showed the pleural nodules increased to 5. Starting Feb 20, the regimen was changed to Trifluridine/Tipiracil (TAS-102) 45mg + Bevacizumab 350mg, on a two-week cycle.

From January this year to now, my father has undergone 15 more chemotherapy cycles. Surprisingly, his mood has been good. Every hospital visit, he brings his own medical records and tells the doctor, "I've been eating well and sleeping soundly lately." The doctor smiles, "The old gentleman is doing well, keep it up." Watching him chat confidently with the doctor, I suddenly understood: fighting cancer isn't about beating time; it's about winning every day we can spend together in good spirits.

The doctor's words from Little New Year's Eve 2022, "at most 3 months," still echo in my ears. Yet, we have truly surpassed the "3-year" mark. This elderly man, once given a life countdown, has endured two open surgeries, 41 chemotherapy cycles, 4 interventional treatments, 1 hernia surgery, and countless imaging scans. Today, he still eats, chats, and laughs with us. His blood CEA remains near normal levels. I believe this is the best outcome of our and my father's relentless persistence.

[Recent follow-up reports]

My father is still on the third-line treatment, facing follow-up tests every two to three months. The cancer journey is far from over and remains full of challenges. But I believe we have already created a miracle. Every day my father lives is a precious gift earned through our family's joint efforts. While we may not fully control the length of his life ahead, its breadth and depth can be infinitely expanded by such courage and love.

「 VIII. From 3 Months to 45 Months: Our Life-Saving Experiences 」

Over the past three years, the long road of cancer treatment has brought us much help and taught us valuable lessons. I hope these experiences can assist more patients and families:

The first lesson is "Mindset." I panicked at first upon diagnosis, but I knew I had to stay calm. I gently told my father, "Modern medicine has many options, and we will fully support you." I also added, "Your lead doctor is highly authoritative, and the treatment plan is cutting-edge," using a "placebo effect" to ease his fears.

The second lesson is "Nutrition." Fighting cancer is a marathon, and nutrition is the "ammunition." My father endured 41 chemotherapy cycles and maintained good indicators at nearly 80 entirely because of what he ate.

[Carefully planned daily meals]

We never took diet lightly. From the day of diagnosis, my husband made "nourishing dad" his top priority. He researched anti-cancer nutrition recipes, created meal plans, and after each checkup, compiled his blood and liver/kidney function results into spreadsheets to adjust the diet accordingly.

He even called FUSCC's Nutrition Department for consultations, attended online nutrition lectures, and sought advice from the head nurse, who remarked, "Your father's nutritional support is already very comprehensive." Throughout the treatment, my husband treated him not as a "father-in-law" but with the genuine devotion of a "biological father."

The third lesson is "Intervention." We prepared the antiemetic "Emend" from the start, sparing him from vomiting. Better physical comfort reduced his resistance to chemotherapy and increased his willingness to continue. Many side effects can be prevented in advance. When families are proactive, patients suffer less. Combined with psychological care and counseling, patients build confidence, resist chemotherapy less, and cooperate better with treatment.

The fourth lesson is "Communication." When talking to doctors, don't just ask "what should we do?" Organize medical records and reports, use AI to research beforehand, process the information yourself, and list clear questions. This helps doctors quickly grasp the key points. For uncertain plans, seek comprehensive judgments. Consult at least 2-3 experts in the same field from different hospitals, and cross-disciplinary experts, then synthesize their advice to choose the most suitable plan.

Images featuring the patient's portrait in this article have been authorized by the patient. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

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