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Private Message Spam
Hello everyone, Thank you to those who've alerted us to the spamming from earlier today, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. While we have security measures in place, we can't prevent all spam. We are currently working on measures to try and block this. If you received a message, please do not respond or…
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I see light at the end of the tunnel
Hello everyone, I haven't posted in a long while, but since I am almost at the end of treatment I thought I would drop a few lines to make some comments, and hear some "after treatment stories". I am about to begin my sixth week of radiation and chemo therapies for recal cancer at Duke Raleigh Hospital. I must admit that I…
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Wondering about what to expect post treatments
You know what? I am gonna make it after all. My treatment at Duke Raleigh Hospital began in December 2014. It has involved chemotherapy by portable infusion pump with the drugs 5FU and Mitamycin (?). Also, radiation therapy was M-F. I finished eveything one week ago today. I'm not feeling any relief or better in any way,…
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graphic, I know
OK, so, 7 months post-treatment, I'm seeing a gel-like substance on the toilet papar....What the heck??? I'm telling myself it's scar tissue dissolving and leaving my body, but I just dreamed that up with no rational basis what-so-ever. Anyone else have something similar or an actual explanation? June
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Stage IV (making progress!)
After 9 months of chemotherapy, including taxol and avastin, I went for routine cat scan in January. Per MD Anderson, I have no evidence of disease (NED) left in my liver. At diagnosis, I'd been told I had "innumerable" lesions in liver area. And so I am grateful and happy with recent news. Doctors originally told me…
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SCC metastisus
I am headed to the Mayo in Phoenix next week. Last Feb. I had a radical neck resection for SCC head and neck. I have a lot of pain in the perineum, between and usually including the scrotum inside me area, and often the anus as well. I have tried for months to get a dr, to determine why my perineum hurts so much. I am not…
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You would think I would learn
Hi Everyone, I'm 2 years post treatment. Next month I get my CT scan to see if I'm still cancer free and I'm feeling pretty good about that. BUT I have wanted to go back to my life I had before cancer. What I mean by that is I can't drink alcohol at all now. I use to be a rum and coke person and everytime I have a drink I…
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Any new drugs for anal cancer besides 5FU and Mitomycin?
I was treated with radiation and 5FU and Mitomycin in 2013. Didn't work. I just had the big surgery (APR) removal of rectum and anus with colosomy, on 10-6-14. Unfortunately they found cancer on my pelvis and removed those tumors a well as the original large one. It was a horrible experience, infection, wound care, fevers,…
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My Mom Started Treatment
Hi all, My mom started treatment yesterday, an all day affair! First was her radiation, then upstairs for chemo. She had he blood work done and her hempgloben was 22! I guess 38 is normal? They considered a tranfusuion but her dr feels she is healthy and stable enough to try iron first, the will retest next week. They then…
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NED for another year
Hi, everyone: After much anxiety and dreading to hear yesterday's CT Scan results, I read them online today ... no evidence of metastatic disease. All I have is a small hiatial hernia, that explains the heartburn I get kind of frequently. Feeling kind of guilty posting the good news, I know that so many of us are not at…
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Xeloda
would like to hear from anyone who had Xeloda...side effects...hair loss...hand and foot syndrome,etc
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Next Step.....
Hi all, So I am continuing to recover from surgery to remove the large (3.5 centimeter) mass on my lung which was in fact a recurrance of anal cancer first diagnosed 4 years ago and treated with standard cisplatin/5FU. I met with my oncologist today to discuss the next step. He considers the surgery very successful in that…
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Vaginal Bleeding
Hello friends ... has anyone had spotting and vaginal bleeding post radiation therapy? Specifically those who are post menopausal. i've had little brown spotting and when I used dilator had bright red bleeding, no pain. Anyone every have this issue? I'm 3.5 year out from treatment and 4 years since last menstral cycle.…
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Moving forward.......
Thank you all for your positive thoughts and prayers.....they have worked so far! Surgery went well (I did not have VATS) but still did have the upper left lobe removed, so have a nice big scar on my back/underarm. I am still hurting but not as much as one would imagine. I have been up and walking around the hospital unit…
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Accidents
Hi all. I was diagnosed in Feb of 2013. Finished all the usual treatments at the end of April 2013. After 4 months or so, I was doing well. Totally off Immodium. Things were going well. Even able to tolerate an ocassional glass of wine, but only one! The food was hit and miss, but quickly found my "triggers". So, when I…
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Scan results
hello all ! I don't respond on this site too often but read almost daily now. This board has given me so much information that leads to hope and knowledge to get me through my days. I finished treatment March 2013 and was stage 3b. I did the same treatment as most on this board and had simular side effects too. I still…
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Pet Scan Results
After waiting three months post radiation and chemo, my mom's pet scan revealed no tumor. Her oncologist said nothing lit up! Of course you would think that we would be elated by this news! And we would have been--but my mom's tumor has always been felt by her on her bottom. For months she thought it was a hemorrhoid. It…
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Gyn exam - Oh! My! GOLLY!!!
I had a pelvic exam today for the first time in years as the oncologist wants me checked for cervical HPV. The speculum felt like a sharp knife. The doctor told me to relax, then it wouldn't hurt. I assured her that I was "truly in pain. No doubt about it. Relaxation would not help that much pain!" I asked about stenosis…
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my mom was just diagnosed with stage 2 anal cancer
My mom who is 59 healthy women, was diagnosed 4 days ago with anal cancer. I hope im not impossing posting not being the person with cancer, i am just looking for support to support her the best way i can. She satrted with bleeding in September and went to her Dr who recommended a colonoscopy, she went and they said…
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Proton Radiation
has anyone had proton radiation? if so, I guess side effects were the same as IMRT?
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Results :3 month post treatment for IIIb anal cancer with nodal involment
Hi everyone! I know I fell off the forum for a bit post treatment trying to recoup from all I had been through. For those who don't remember me or have come on board recently...... I have the same story as most here regarding how my cancer was discovered. The hemmorrhoid that no one paid much attention too until it bled,…
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Still dealing with Radiation Proctitis
I have not posted on the forum since October. I am glad to read that many are doing so well. The reason I am writing is to me my radiation proctitis seems a little different. I found out I had anal cancer August 2011 that was a squamous cell that was the size if a lime, but it was stage 2. Long story short I had the same…
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Update from Laz.
Had my blood work and 1 year CT this week. The CEA is steady at 1.3 and the CT is clear. I'm very relieved, because I have aches and pains everywhere and of course the first thing I think of is metastases. My life pretty much returned to normal, I'm back to work which I enjoy very much. I have to restart everything,…
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NED!
Hi guys, Just a quick message to say that yesterday my mum got her results back and she's now officially 3 months NED! The oncologist said that the cancer looks to have completely gone, the lump is not there anymore etc. He said it's very unlikely to come back as well, used the word "Cured" and we're just ecstatic really.…
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Eyebrows and eye lashes
I notice that everyone has had hair loss on their head...some have lost all, others just had hair thinning. Did you also lose eyebrows and eyelashes? I haven't begin treatment as yet (possibly Xeloda and mitomycin-c), but my hair has been thinning for the last few years . I am worried that it will all fall out and not grow…
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Biopsy Results..............
Hi all, Well the verdict is in......Anal cancer recurrance and I'm officially Stage 4! I guess although I knew this has been a possibility for the past 4 years, as my scans came back clear and my health appeared great, I kind of tucked it far in the back of my mind.....well now its front and center! I pride myself on being…
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Newly diagnosed
Hi All, I am a female in my early 50's just given a definitive diagnosis of anal cancer. I had surgery this past Monday to remove a mass that showed pre-cancerous( in Situ) cells from a colonscopy biopsy done in early Dec. My surgeon was unable to remove the entire tumor due to deepness and sphincter invlovement and he…
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Letter from my mum to you all
Hey guys, My mum has written a message to you which she has asked me to upload. She doesn't come on due to the anxiety of what she might see, I think she likes to try and forget it as much as possible and I send her the replies you all write. Anyway, she does appreciate everything and she's asked me to pass this on to you:…
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Past Ain II, possible recurrence, a lot of bleeding
Hello, I have followed this board for a while, concerned about my wife, and let me just say that this board is a blessing and the community here is a blessing. I wish all of you here the best. Anyway like I said I'm concerned for my wife who was diagnosed with HPV 4 years ago (she was 23 then), had anal warts and AIN II…
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PET scan vs MRI and CT scan?
Hi everyone, hope you're all feeling ok this lovely (but windy here in the UK) Saturday morning... Just a quick question which I'm hoping someone will be able to throw light on...I'm due to have my first follow up scans on 20th and 21st January - they're giving me a CT scan and an MRI scan however, when I was first…