Staging

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TLG320
TLG320 Member Posts: 167
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hi All,

Was anyone staged prior to surgery or treatment? If so, were you restaged following surgery? Thanks!

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  • laurie83833
    laurie83833 Member Posts: 63
    #2
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    Kind of
    My husband - the Surgeon(s) I guess didn't really stage but when they went over the CT scan before surgery and we had the pre-surgery councilation - both surgeons said early stage more then likely Stage I and not higher your the poster person for early detection blah, blah, blah. After surgery and the full path report came back it ended up to be Stage II-B.
  • kristasplace
    kristasplace Member Posts: 957 Member
    #3
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    Staging
    My surgeon also staged me before surgery. I think the really good ones can pretty much tell from scans, etc., especially if you're advanced stage, but they can't be certain until they test the nodes after surgery. Then they give you a number, and a letter.

    Hugs,
    Krista
  • Jimbob-
    Jimbob- Member Posts: 46
    #4
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    laurie83833 said:

    Kind of
    My husband - the Surgeon(s) I guess didn't really stage but when they went over the CT scan before surgery and we had the pre-surgery councilation - both surgeons said early stage more then likely Stage I and not higher your the poster person for early detection blah, blah, blah. After surgery and the full path report came back it ended up to be Stage II-B.

    I saw blood, diagnosed vial
    I saw blood, diagnosed vial colonoscopy, biopsy and Rectal sonogram, and had surgery all within Ten days. I was staged at Stage one after the surgery, I was the Poster boy for Early detection.

    No bowel perforation or lymph nodes affected.

    No dhemo or rad needed. Just wear this bag for the restr of my life
  • TLG320
    TLG320 Member Posts: 167
    #5
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    kristasplace said:

    Staging
    My surgeon also staged me before surgery. I think the really good ones can pretty much tell from scans, etc., especially if you're advanced stage, but they can't be certain until they test the nodes after surgery. Then they give you a number, and a letter.

    Hugs,
    Krista

    thanks all
    Neither the surgeon nor gastrointerologist have staged my husband. They found the cancer via colonoscopy. The CT scan indicates that it is only in the colon. His lymph nodes aren't swolen. But of course, we don't know until the pathology reports come back after his November 9th sugery. Both doctors indicated that chemotherapy is a possibility after surgery. My assumption is that he will have chemotherapy no matter what. He's 42 and in great shape - no health problems beside this recent diagnosis. The surgeon indicated that the oncologist will probably push for a very aggressive treatment considering my husband's health and that he can handle it.

    What an emotional rollercoaster this is!
    Tashina
  • Shayenne
    Shayenne Member Posts: 2,342
    #6
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    TLG320 said:

    thanks all
    Neither the surgeon nor gastrointerologist have staged my husband. They found the cancer via colonoscopy. The CT scan indicates that it is only in the colon. His lymph nodes aren't swolen. But of course, we don't know until the pathology reports come back after his November 9th sugery. Both doctors indicated that chemotherapy is a possibility after surgery. My assumption is that he will have chemotherapy no matter what. He's 42 and in great shape - no health problems beside this recent diagnosis. The surgeon indicated that the oncologist will probably push for a very aggressive treatment considering my husband's health and that he can handle it.

    What an emotional rollercoaster this is!
    Tashina

    I didn't
    Have surgery when they told me from the scans that I had Stage 4 CC, and it was stage 4 because it was in the liver, and it had advanced.


    Hugsss!
    ~Donna
  • dianetavegia
    dianetavegia Member Posts: 1,942 Member
    #7
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    Hi Tashina,
    I had a CT prior
    Hi Tashina,

    I had a CT prior to surgery and my lymph nodes looked fine. 5 out of 17 had a 'few microscopic cancer cells' so I am a Stage IIIB. The tumor had not grown through or broken through the colon, which was good news. My surgeon didn't attempt to stage me prior to surgery other than saying CT scans showed no spread to other organs. BTW, my surgeon biopsied my liver while removing the lymph nodes, saying 'while we were in there'... which gave me an extra mental boost.

    Diane
  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #8
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    Yes
    I was staged by my doctor (who did a special ultrasound to see if it was in the lymph nodes and to get a better look at the tumor), then saw the CT scan showed no spread, but ultimately all tests were brought before a panel of 12 doctors who agreed with staging and decided on a plan of action.

    Kim
  • Patteee
    Patteee Member Posts: 945
    #9
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    After all testing had been
    After all testing had been done at Mayo, I asked my colorectal surgeon to speculate on the stage. She said it didn't pay for either of us for her to speculate. She did say based on the size of the tumor (I was nearly obstructed) that this probably wasn't a stage 1 or 2, but beyond that she would know more after surgery and with the pathology report. After surgery, she said that visually she saw no spread to liver or lungs, the tumor had perforated the colon just into the fatty cells and there was some lymph node involvement. Day 3 the pathology came back- 6 lymph node (I believe it was 6 out of 12). I saw the Mayo oncologist while I was still in the hospital- he is the one who verbally staged it for me at 3B, but was also quick to point out that the PET would be done before chemo, and that would firm up the stage. It did.
    I guess one of the biggest things that came from this was an understanding of the process of staging and that all tests and specialist needed to weigh in before a final stage could be determined.
  • jen58
    jen58 Member Posts: 34
    #10
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    TLG320 said:

    thanks all
    Neither the surgeon nor gastrointerologist have staged my husband. They found the cancer via colonoscopy. The CT scan indicates that it is only in the colon. His lymph nodes aren't swolen. But of course, we don't know until the pathology reports come back after his November 9th sugery. Both doctors indicated that chemotherapy is a possibility after surgery. My assumption is that he will have chemotherapy no matter what. He's 42 and in great shape - no health problems beside this recent diagnosis. The surgeon indicated that the oncologist will probably push for a very aggressive treatment considering my husband's health and that he can handle it.

    What an emotional rollercoaster this is!
    Tashina

    husband...
    my husband is the exact same way TLG

    he is 43, in great shape, had NO symptoms whatsoever, but because both his brother and father had colon cancer and died from it, he'd been getting regular screenings, unfortunately his former GI never told him he should be checked EVERY YEAR, instead of 3-5 because of HNPCC, so he had 2 tumors, one on the right and one at the splenic flexture -- the one on the right was as big as an orange and there is lymph node involvement but no idea how much

    he is currently in the hospital, this very minute recovering and hope to have him home soon -- the doctor has staged him at III but until path tells us how many LN we dont know B or C, but it's most likely going to be C :(

    he'll start his chemo after he finishes recovering
  • Shayenne
    Shayenne Member Posts: 2,342
    #11
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    jen58 said:

    husband...
    my husband is the exact same way TLG

    he is 43, in great shape, had NO symptoms whatsoever, but because both his brother and father had colon cancer and died from it, he'd been getting regular screenings, unfortunately his former GI never told him he should be checked EVERY YEAR, instead of 3-5 because of HNPCC, so he had 2 tumors, one on the right and one at the splenic flexture -- the one on the right was as big as an orange and there is lymph node involvement but no idea how much

    he is currently in the hospital, this very minute recovering and hope to have him home soon -- the doctor has staged him at III but until path tells us how many LN we dont know B or C, but it's most likely going to be C :(

    he'll start his chemo after he finishes recovering

    I'm
    Soo sorry to hear about your hubby! I will say a prayer for him, and hope he gets out soon! gosh I hate hospitals, I get so freaked out everytime I have to go, only because of those stupid NG tubes!!!

    That's sad that they found his so late too, you just can't trust alot of docs anymore either. How are you holding up? I wish I was there to give ya a big ole hug!

    Hugsss!
    ~Donna
  • amyboston
    amyboston Member Posts: 91
    #12
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    before surgery
    I was staged before surgery, after the colonoscopy and after the biopsy of the tumor came in.
    Stage IIB.

    I do the first MRI/CT stuff tonite and next week.

    Amy

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