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Possible Clinical Trial at NIH/NCI
Hi all - This week I have been talking to docs / nurses involved in a clinical trial at NCI. The trial involves radio frequency ablation of liver mets but with a twist. They inject you with doxorubicin (standard chemo drug used for breast and other cancers). The drug molecules, however, are "micro-encapsulated" with…
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quick ER trip
Hi again. well, sorry I was MIA. I was feeling a little crummy on Friday afternoon, got progressively worse Sat. Then Sat night I began throwing up anything - and I hadn't eaten all day. All the pain pills (narcotics) stuffed me up. I hadn't pooped since Tues morning and I ate a normal diet on Thurs and Friday. I stopped…
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A LITTLE HUMOR
I went into my oncologist's office for my first rectal exam following chemo. His new nurse took me to an examining room and told me to get undressed and have a seat until the doctor could see me. She said that he would only be a few minutes. After putting on the gown that she gave me I sat down. While waiting I observed…
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Thanks and Question
Thanks to everyone for all the kind words on Tuesday (from my earlier post regarding my moms clean scan results). SpongeBob was correct when he said that now the period of "worrying about every little tummy ache begins !" Needless to say, my mom is getting tired of watching us freak out everytime she sneezes. One another…
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Facing Our Fears
Hi all, I have my colonoscopy scheduled for this Friday and I just wanted to share some of my thoughts with people who understand. For those of you who are not familiar, I am a 43 year old and seven year survivor of stage 3 rectal cancer. I endured almost a full year of preoperative treatment, surgery and chemotherapy to…
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Folfox - Finished 8 of 12 - Its getting tougher !
My father finished his 8th Folfox treatment of 12 about 2 weeks. With the 8th treatment things have really gotten tough. It seems as though he has barely recovered and is due for #9 (assuming his counts are ok). He did really well with 1 thru 7, just some fatigue and loss of appetite for approx. 5 days after. With…
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just diagnosed stage III rectal
Had my operation on 4th January. Clear margins - 2 out of 17 lymph node involvement stage III. Started Flofox on 28th February. I have been having trouble with diarrhea since the operation and take immodium. Is taking Immodium EVERY DAY the only way that I can control the diarrhea. Once I take the immodium lie down for an…
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CT & Bone Scans back.....What next?
My dh's ct & bone scans came back and we were very confused. The CT scans of the chest, abdomen & pelvis were mixed results....liver lesions have shrunk (which was excellent news), but......there is always a but....the lymph nodes have all increased as have the lung lesions (1 so much so that they were unable to make a…
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great news to share
Hello All, I thought I would pass on some wonderful news - my mom (originally diagnosed Jan 2003, Stage III) received a clean bill of health at her 6 month checkup today.. All her Scans came back NED ! As most of you know, waiting for the routine follow up results is a tortuous experience, at best. It is such a relief. (we…
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re: For Stacy
Stacy, I posted something under your post regarding the iliostomy topic below. Thanks! Kathryn
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what is too long for iliostomy bag?
My friend went from not being able to keep a bag on or from leaking for more than two days to having the latest one on for two weeks. Since he is going to a county hospital and there is only one iliostomy nurse for the entire hospital and she is only there on Mondays (basically her advice initially was worthless and he was…
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dad's second chemo treatment
Hi Everyone, My dad is 75 years old and was dx colorectal cancer stage IV, he tolerated the first chemo for 6 months really well without much side effects. He finished chemo in 8/05 and was clear on CT/PET scan. In 10/05, he started to have lots of back pain and other unknown pains and the oncologist ordered PET/CT due to…
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discoloration of the hands
My hands and nails are getting darker and I use lotion and vitamin E everyday. My feet are so dry after I put lotion on them that I have to wear closed toe shoes. My tongue is getting darker. I have 4 more treatments of the CPT-11 and Avastin. All my hair came out in a week. This is my 3rd go around with chemo. I took 5-FU…
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Good news and Thanks
Thanks to all for your good wishes regarding my recent abnormal mammogram. I went for my diagnostic mammogram last Friday and while the "extra squish" resulted in a normal picture for the left breast, there was still a potential problem place in the right. Not the greatest weekend of my life, but this afternoon I had an…
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Thank you!
Last week my onc. ordered a CT scan and PET scan because of slowly rising CEA levels during chemo -- and some messed up liver enzymes. Both tests came back clean -- no evidence of cancer! I appreciate all of you for the support you have given.
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Targeted Therapy Drugs w/out 5Fu
I am currently taking Avastin + Erbitux, and have been on this regimen since January. It is too early to say if it's effective. Last summer I was on 5FU + Avastin and Oxaliplatin but I did not tolerate 5FU well at all, and it was even worse when I tried CPT-11 last December. So, the docs decided to use only targeted…
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CEA Level-Stage III/IV NED's
Hi. I'd like to get a sense of CEA levels of other Stage III and IV patients who are currently NED. My wife's most recent measurement was 2.3, still within "normal" but her previous reading was essentially zero. Thanks in advance for posting or emailing this info.! Best regards to everyone! Andy
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My mom
Hi I havn't been here for awhile. Sorry to see all of the new people but glad you all found this board. I moved to Africa and it has been pure hell getting a phone line much less internet. Anyway my mom is currently doing treatment with Ironetecan+ Avastin+Erbitux. Anyway else doing this? I think it is a fairly new…
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stretching the colon
I am 37 years old had surgery may 2005 on my colon..then had radiation and chemo...know I have scare tissue in my colon from the surgery..I had my colon stretched month ago and know they want to do it again tuesday..I ask howmany times will I have to do this the doc. said atleast three more times..if anyone has had to do…
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iliostomy
My sister 37 yrs old was diagnosed 3 weeks ago with colon cancer. Two weeks ago she had the mass removed along with 10" of her colon and now has an iliostomy. She also has mets on her liver and will begin chemo next week. She was readmitted to the hospital for dehydration today. They are being told that this is common with…
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colon palooza
I may be able to get the time off from work after all one of the other managers dropped her April dates. These are some of my questions. My sister lives in San Antonio and she said she could drop me off and pick me up where ever we are meeting at. Should I do that or should I stay at the hotel? If we are going site seeing…
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answer to rthorton about erbitux
Enjoy your trip to Europe! You will probably be perfect! My rash was subsiding a bit when I stopped Erbitux. Within a week, I totally stopped breaking out and my skin was no longer dry. However, it did take a few weeks longer for the old signs of the rash (scars) to clear. By week six, my skin was perfect and I never…
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mucus discharge follow up information
Hi All, I posted last week and I just got my father PET/CT scan back yesterday, bad news that the scan demonstrate evidence of tumor recurrence in the rectal pouch. There is a 2.1x2.0cm soft tissue density at the level of the medial aspect of the right rectus abdominus muscle. That may well be the reason why he felt a pull…
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legal action
Hi to all, I hope it is ok to post this here. Has anyone gone the legal route against their delay in their colon cancer diagnosis. If so, was there a positive out come. You can email me through this site. Thanks, Maureen
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Home on the couch
Hi everyone, Had my left lung nodule removed Tues. The entire lung was examined and no other nodules were found. Whew. 1 lymph node was removed because it had a few blood vessels around it, but I was sick the week before the surgery - we are not worried. Everything could NOT have gone any better!! I felt good that night. I…
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Thanks for all your help
I just wanted to say thanks to all who helped me and my friend in an early post. Unfortunatly we lost my friend March 1, 2006 at 8:17 am. The good Lord took him home, and now he is in a better place. Tony passed away of small intestinal cancer. It just hit him so fast there was nothing anyone could do. His will be dearly…
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Question for Betsy
Betsy, I would love to pick your brain about what you've been through. I think hearing about your experience would really help my friend. You are the only one I've heard of so far that has been through the chemo regimen my friend is being encouraged to go on. I am printing your letter to take to him. I did a search and…
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type IV colon cancer
Hi, I am a caregiver for my husband who was diagnosed in 10/04. He is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatments with irinotecan and erbitux. We are wondering what other survivors are doing along with chemotherapy that is improving their results? Has anyone tried any alternative medicines or therapies? Any other ideas?
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Andrea????
Has anyone heard from Andrea, our 24 year old friend from Canada. She hasn't posted in a while. I hope that means she is busy with school. Maureen
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liver enzymes/ CEA rising/ dose reduction
Has anyone had this experience? My liver enzymes have been out of whck twice during chemo (once after the 3rd treatment and now after the 6th). Both times the docotr has held treatment for one week and then reduced the oxaliplatin. Does anyone know if the dose reduction impacts the effectiveness of treatment or is this…