Stopping chemo metastatic colon cancer

[Onlychoking]

Can anyone tell me why it's only recommended to have 8 cycles of chemo in stage 4 bowel cancer? My relative is showing positive response but is now halfway through the treatment. While we know it's not likely to be a cure, if it's keeping the disease in check can they not carry on? Side effects so far haven't been particularly bad - feeling unwell on day of infusion but mainly just tiredness the rest of the time.
Patient thinks they would like to continue but doesn't want to go against oncologist advice.
Obviously every case is different and he needs to speak to the hospital but I want to understand myself. Thank you

Sorry to read this. I’m not a medical professional but there are effects that can manifest after the treatment course, my DM had several courses for her cancers over a couple of years and whilst initial responses seemed positive, ultimately the spread of the disease meant the chemo negatives outweighed any positive change.

Thanks that does make sense. I'd have assumed they would monitor after each block though?

I second Nutmuncher - I had eight rounds of chemo myself for bowel cancer earlier this year. Felt I was tolerating it well to begin with but the effects were cumulative and some (notably neuropathy) didn’t get really bad till six weeks after my last session. I am lucky to have had a very good response nonetheless.

On a really practical level, because the cost and risks of further rounds of treatment do not significantly change how well it works and how well people are after.

My treatment is for 12 months (12 28 day cycles of daily treatment). I have metastatic melanoma. If it’s going to work, it works within those 12 months (I have no sign of cancer currently and I’m just starting cycle 10 of 12), but taking it longer wouldn’t improve the outcomes because the cancer starts to become resistant. I think in part they stop because they want to save it for later in case they need it. For my cancer and stage, 85% remain cancer free after treatment. The 15% for whom the cancer comes back probably have disease that is more resistant anyway, so no benefit to taking it longer.

Thank you everyone. That makes sense

@Onlychoking I have esophageal cancer and am on palliative chemo. My oncologist told me”you can’t be on chemo forever”. I finished eight rounds of chemo and TT and messaged my dr. and she said to continue with my current therapy. So far I’m tolerating it well but have a pet scan upcoming. I have an adenocarcinoma and have been told they’re hard to treat. I choose to remain hopeful but boy I wish it was responsive to immunotherapy. I had a very bad reaction to it 😢.