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Diabetes and colon cancer

My brother has had Diabetes Mellitus for about 30 years. He is now 55 years old. A month ago  8 inches of his colon were removed because of colon cancer.  In the meantime he has been told that his colon cancer is stage 3c. After the operation he had alot of trouble keeping his sugarlevel down. Either this week or next week he has to start chemotherapy. I have been told that there are 2 different chemotherapies he can choose from: 1. a therapy with oxaliplaten (misspelled?), which offers a better survival statistic than the other therapy but has very unpleasant sideeffects for diabetics or 2. a therapy using 5fu combined with leucoucine (misspelled?), with less complications for diabetics but the survival rate after 5 years isn`t as good as that of the other therapy. Has anyone had experience with diabetes and colon cancer? Can anyone give us information that might help my brother in choosing one of the therapies. Does anyone have any other information that might be useful. Thankyou.
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19794146 tn?1484453977
This is Jan 2017 My husband is Taking 3 medications by port in his chest  One of them is Oxaliplantin (misspelled?) . It has been good so far and it helps stop the spread and is now used for cancer that has went to other organs I think? My husband also has stage 3 and had a large tumor with some colon removed 8 months ago Chemo only started 2 months ago..He also has had diabetes 30 yrs He is 68. After surgery and major changes to his body including dental surgery and knee replacement his sugar levels would run dangerously high or low but eating right , drinking plenty water and getting  exercise and plenty rest along with taking  insulin as directed by the DOCTOR helped until glucose levels settle down..It can take some time, remember he had major surgery. Eat your veggies or start eating them and good News I believe my husband is going to survive Cancer. Please Help your self" promote and get a Colonoscopy every year. Preventative measures is the best way to go...... Melody Carter in Clovis N.M.
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Avatar universal
I agree with dm that this needs to be discussed wtih his endocrinologist, who certainly should be part of the team of folks making this decision. It may be that if he decides to opt for the treatment that has the greatest negative side affects on diabetics, some changes in his diabetic treatment (possibly some of the newer insulins or pump) as well as  a change in diet may help him cope with any glucose level changes. His endocrinologist certainly has seen it all and can help advise him. It is quite possible that the best treatment for the cancer may turn out to be very workable with the right dietary and/or medicine changes to balance it.
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Avatar universal
Dear Robwern,

Thank you for reaching out to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. As volunteers and not physicians, we are unable to give out medical advice.

I am sorry that your brother is going through this. Diabetes can be difficult enough to deal with, without cancer on top of it. I would recommend if he is seeing an endo for his diabetes that he/she be actively involved with this decision and work with the doctor who is taking care of your brother for his cancer. Working together, they may be able to help your brother with this difficult decision and also help him maintain good blood sugars through this.

I wish I could be of more help. Please look for further comments from others in this forum. I wish you and your brother the best of luck and please let us know how he is doing.

dm

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