The Cancer Survivors Network (CSN) is a peer support community for cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, families, and friends! CSN is a safe place to connect with others who share your interests and experiences.

Anal Cancer

Some tips from CSN
Welcome to the CSN! Below are some tips to help you get started following and posting on the boards. You can follow your preferred discussion board to get notifications of new topics and comments. To follow a board, navigate to your preferred board and then select the bell at the top, followed by your notification…
anal cancer
I just found out that I have cancer in my rectum. Last week, coloscopy; next week, CAT scan & surgeon meeting. I don't have family; my husband died in 2013; friends don't know much about cancer & neither do I. I'm afraid and anxious, trying not to get depressed. I'm looking for conversation to help me thru this process.
Vaginal Dialators after Pelvic Radiation for anal cancer
I saw my radiation onc at the beginning of this week. He told me he was giving me a vaginal dialator because the radiation has caused scar tissue and I need to use it so nothing closes. I was surprised because he didn't mention this to me before I had treatments. So I use it 10 minutes a day and it is still painful. I do…
Dilator
Being a sexually active women I worry about the effects of radiation on my sexual organs. Heard that some women need a dilator to prevent perminent damage to the vaginal area. I'm just in the first week of radiation and chemo. Would like to have some input as to the necessity for this device in the near future. Never have…
Vaginal dilators - sources and information on use.
[I could have sworn that I already posted information about the Soul Source site, but I can't find it utilizing keyword searching. So, forgive any reduncy.] The radiation oncologist's office gave me two 6" long dilators from Syracuse Medical Devices, a small (~7/8" diameter) and medium (~1-1/8" diameter). They are solid,…
Rectal Cancer, 80% chance live on Colostomy bag for life
I just got diagnosed with rectal cancer less than 2 weeks ago. I am a 59 Year old male. The cancer starts 3.2cm inside my rectum, is 3.2cm thick and 6.2cm long. That is just the live cancer itself. There is further damage the cancer has caused, and it has spread to my liver. According to my doctors it has been growing for…
POST RADIATION PROBLEMS HIP AND PELVIC BONE DAMAGE
Is anyone dealing with this? I was diagnosed in April 2011 and had my treatments (chemo and radiation) through May and June. I was stage III so I had pretty intense radiation, including pinpoint to specific lymph nodes that were affected. I have extreme low back pain, spasms (he says probably related to muscles trying to…
mucous discharge
I am 9 months post treatment for anal canal cancer. Can anyone tell me when and if the anal mucous discharge ends? I am sooo tired of having to wear a pad 24/7
After Anal Cancer Treatment and Anal Sex
As a gay man that just finished chemo/radiation treatment for anal cancer. I am scared of having anal sex. Any other gay men that have gone through anal cancer treatment successfully but scared to have anal sex? I know it will be painful but will it be painful the whole time during sex? Will anal sex be pleasurable again?…
Radiation Burn Spray
Hi, this may be of use to anyone but was thinking of Pattie at this time. I know she mentioned starting treatment this week. The spray I used to ease the pain on my butt, groin area is called Dermoplast...it is usually given to women to spray on after childbirth and can be purchased over the counter at most pharmacies, I…
Vaginally stenosis
No one has talked about vaginal stenosis which is scar tissue from the radiation. This made any kind of penetration painful. My radiologist gave me vaginal dilators in different sizes.
Blood in stools...kind of scared
I'm 5 months post treatment. I've had a colonoscopy and there was no more cancer. I've been on a vegan diet for 5 months. Things were going well until this morning. I had a "normal" stool and it kind of hurt, but there was bright red blood in it. I'm not in pain but it really scared me. I see my general onc next week.…
Fissure after biopsy
Hi! New to this site, please bare w me... I got diagnosed 2022 w squamous cell approx 2" in the anal canal. Finished treatment 12/22. Had port taken out along w final 6 mon biopsy. 2 weeks later, in debilitating pain, had to go back out on disability. I go to all my docs. They went to go back in for botox. They do a…
Just started treatment
Recently diagnosed with anal cancer stage 3 A, and just finished 1st week of chemo and first 4 radiation therapy treatments, and am already experiencing extreme pain from RT. I keep reading it usually takes a few weeks to become painful, and am terrified because it is already so intense, and bound to get worse. I usually…
Treatment
So I start my treatment for anal cancer Stage T2 N1a. I am just wondering what to expect with chemo/radiation therapy? I have chemo/radiation for two cycles, for five days straight. I will be using the pump. (Had my port place in late February.) Anyone have any thoughts regarding the anal pain, will it ever go away?
Anal cancer
Hi I’m close to starting my treatment and I’m scared to death! Please tell me what to expect🥹
My survival journey through anal cancer
I was diagnosed with stage 3b anal cancer in Sept 2022 and while I consider myself a survivor, my experience was difficult, I'm sorry to say. In Aug 22, I started noticing that I was passing blood in my bowels movements. I was 59 at the time and I've certainly had plenty of hemorrhoids where there was bright red blood, but…
Journey and what next
Hi there, I'm 41 years old and in October 2024 I'm diagnosed stage 4 anal cancer and liver and anterior lower abdomen wall metastesis. At first, I almost got chemoradiation but after found out that it has spread so the treatment has changed. I got 6 chemo (Paclitaxel/ Carboplatin) and testing PET scan soon (now 4 weeks…
Side effects of Mitomycin
On 1/8/24, I start treatment for Stage 2 Anal Cancer, & I will have 1 dose of Mitomycin along with 5FU for 96 hrs. At beginning of treatment & 96 hrs. At the end of treatment. Also, 30 rounds of Radiation. I have RA & concerned about the potential side effects of this drug. I appreciate everything that I’ve learned on this…
vigina problems
after 7 months since my last cancer treatment. still having problems with sex. Hurts very much. I feel bad for my husband. I don't want to give that part of my life up. Anyone else have these problems?
I am pretty terrified
Since mid sept. I have been passing blood very intermittently, sharp pain as if I am passing glass/sand paper and persistent itching around the anus almost every bowel movement. I have no pain outside of BM I am 37 years old, non immune supressed, no hiv etc otherwise in healthy shape in a long term relationship. I had a…
Scar tissue 6 years NED
Yes, It hurts and is scary. My colon Doctor put me on Metamuscil in the morning and Miralax in the evening. It has helped me stay soft enough to pass normal size stool then goes to shoestring size. However, the scar tissue in on my sphincter and that's where to stool passes through. It gets inflamed and hurts now and then.…
Has anyone had colo-anal anastomosis surgery and a colostomy reversal?
I needed a colostomy for my anal cancer because of a fistula between my vagina and rectum. Now that my treatments are over and the cancer is gone, my colorectal surgeon believes she can reverse the colostomy. I will get a temporary ileostomy and she will do a colo-anal anastomosis at the same time, then after 2 months, she…
Chemo/Radiation Long Term Side Effects
I am now about 10 years post treatments. After looking through several discussions it looks like most of us have alot of the same side effects. My first side effect started about 4 1/2 years after treatments ended and while I was on vacation. I never had a issue until that day. We ate lunch and was walking around seeing…
Marijuana for pain?
Has anyone had success with marijuana, gummies probably, for pain? Luckily I live in a state where it’s legal. I’ve read that if it’s HPV related then a 3:1 ratio THC:CBD.
Pain prior to treatment
Did anyone have pain before treatment from the cancer? I’m having pain that makes it difficult to sit, lay, and sleep. I take Tylenol for the pain as well as gabapentin. I do sitz baths 3 times a day. The only time I am relatively comfortable is when I’m in the tub. Anyone else have this problem? Any suggestions?
Reduced chemo radiation clinical trial for early detected anal cancer
I am wondering if anyone has been offered this option for treatment. This is a 2 arm study, randomized selection of standard treatment or trial group. Qualifications; T1 or T2, no lymph node or Mets detected. The purpose of this study is to determine if reduction of treatment in early stage anal cancer provides similar…
Ultrasound and PetScan
I am feeling defeated today. Friday I had a pelvic ultrasound and the radiologist reported the wrong information on my report. I had a pelvic ultrasound and they reported about my breast. Now, I have asked my oncologist to do another order to an outside company to do another ultrasound and he will not do it. He wants me to…
Is colostomy necessary?
I was diagnosed with anal cancer in March of this year and underwent 6 weeks of chemo radiation treatment ending in May 2024. I handled treatment fairly well. In September I was pretty much pain free but bm was still radical. Pain started returning in October. Visit to my colorectal surgeon showed an ulcer in the area of…
Did your anal cancer affect vaginal opening
This question is for females I was recently diagnosed with anal cancer when I met with 2nd group Dr for 2nd opinion I mention that the vaginal opening is itching as much as anus, is this common for anal cancer? He referred me to gynecologist to be checked.
Proton beam therapy for anal cancer
Does anyone have experience with proton beam therapy instead of conventional radiation treatment for anal margin squamous cell cancer? I have just been diagnosed and am very afraid of long term effects of conventional radiation.

Please remember that these discussion boards are a public forum, which means open to the public (i.e. non-CSN members) and the content can be found via internet search engines. Members are strongly advised not to share personal identifiers such as real names, email address, telephone number, street address, etc. This information can be used to identify you and link you to the content you provide. Other areas of CSN are restricted to members only and cannot be found by search engines.

The Cancer Survivors Network (CSN) is a peer support community for cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, families, and friends! CSN is a safe place to connect with others who share your interests and experiences.

Anal Cancer

Discussion List

Discussion Boards