Ogogo: Can someone survive stage four cancer? Here are things to know
Veteran Nollywood actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, was confirmed to be battling stage-four cancer on Monday, following emotional appeals by his daughters, Lima and Kira Taiwo, for help from Nigerians, well-wishers and medical professionals.
The actor’s daughters separately took to Instagram to seek assistance for their father, appealing to individuals and medical professionals with experience in cancer treatment to help save his life.
In a video posted on her Instagram page, Lima said her father’s condition had deteriorated and claimed that hospitals had refused to continue treating him.
Appearing emotional, Lima appealed to Nigerians and well-wishers to help the family find a hospital or medical personnel willing to treat her father, stressing that they were not soliciting financial assistance.
What is stage-four cancer?
According to Binaytara, a cancer news platform, stage-four cancer is the most advanced stage of the disease but does not automatically mean that a patient is at the end of life.
While a cancer diagnosis can be devastating, stage-four cancer and terminal cancer are not necessarily the same. Advances in cancer medicine, including targeted therapies, immunotherapy, precision radiotherapy and improved surgical techniques, have helped extend the lives of some patients with advanced cancer.
What does a stage-four cancer diagnosis mean?
Cancer occurs when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably in the body. The disease is generally classified from stage one to stage four, based on factors such as the size of the tumour, its growth into surrounding tissues and whether it has spread to other organs.
Stage-four cancer means the disease has spread beyond the organ where it originally developed to distant parts of the body. These secondary growths are known as metastases, which is why stage-four cancer is also commonly referred to as metastatic cancer.
The bones, liver and lungs are among the organs to which cancer commonly spreads. It can also spread to lymph nodes, which are groups of immune cells located throughout the body.
Because stage-four cancer has spread beyond its original site, its treatment is often more complex and may require a combination of therapies.
How is stage-four cancer treated?
1. Understanding what stage four means
Stage-four cancer has spread, or metastasised, to other parts of the body. Because cancer cells can remain in different parts of the body even after visible tumours have been removed, completely eliminating the disease can be difficult.
2. Treatment often focuses on controlling the disease
Stage-four cancer can still be treated even when doctors cannot completely cure it.
Treatment may be aimed at slowing or controlling the cancer, reducing the amount of cancer in the body, helping the patient live longer and maintaining the best possible quality of life.
3. Treatment depends on where the cancer originated
Metastatic cancer is named and treated according to the organ where it began.
For instance, breast cancer that spreads to the lungs remains breast cancer and is treated based on the characteristics of the original breast cancer, rather than as lung cancer.
The type and characteristics of the original cancer help doctors determine the most appropriate treatment options.
4. Systemic treatments are important
Because stage-four cancer may be present in different parts of the body, treatments that travel through the bloodstream are often used.
These may include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted or precision medicines and other systemic treatments, depending on the type of cancer.
5. Treatment intensity depends on the patient’s condition
Doctors consider the patient’s overall health when determining the intensity of treatment.
While some patients may be able to tolerate aggressive treatment, older, frail or severely ill patients may not be able to withstand treatments with significant side effects. In such cases, doctors may opt for gentler treatment options.
6. Doctors balance benefits and side effects
More aggressive treatment can sometimes provide better control of cancer but may also cause significant side effects.
Doctors therefore consider the potential effectiveness of a treatment alongside its side effects, the patient’s overall health and quality of life when developing a treatment plan.
7. Treatment often involves a team of specialists
Stage-four cancer is commonly managed by a multidisciplinary team that may include medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and surgical oncologists.
Other healthcare professionals, including nurses, social workers, counsellors, nurse navigators and symptom-management specialists, may also be involved in the patient’s care.
8. Not all stage-four cancers have the same outlook
The prognosis of stage-four cancer varies depending on several factors, including the type of cancer, where it has spread, the extent of the spread and the patient’s overall health.
Some cancers may spread extensively, while others may spread to only a limited number of locations.
When cancer spreads to only a few sites, sometimes involving one or two organs, it may be described as oligometastatic cancer.
9. Some oligometastatic cancers may be treated aggressively
In selected patients, doctors may consider surgery or radiation to target and remove or destroy significant cancer deposits.
Such treatment may help control the disease and potentially prolong survival in appropriate cases.
Key takeaway
A diagnosis of stage-four cancer does not automatically mean that there are no treatment options.
Treatment and prognosis vary significantly from one patient to another, depending on the type and spread of the cancer, the patient’s general health and how the disease responds to treatment.
For patients and families facing such a diagnosis, medical professionals remain best placed to determine the appropriate treatment and care options.
Source: Punch