can there be NO chemo after surgery

bjohnson
bjohnson Member Posts: 13
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Two days ago I posted the I was dx with CR and am facing more scopes and tests. I have asked a lot of Q's and have gotten a lot of great info from experienced CR survivors. The surgeon said that I might not have to have chemo after. So, here is another question. Has anyone had the APR for tumor removal and not had to have the chemo treatments?
BJ

Comments

  • 66Rose
    66Rose Member Posts: 58
    #2
    I just re-read your first post, have you been staged, I have not seen it anywhere?

    If you are stage I a majority of people do not have post Chemo, oncologist's usually do not recommend.

    If you are stage II starts to get tricky, some say there is no benefit for Chemo after surgery or minimal.

    Stage III most have Chemo, although I chose not to because even though my docs say I am III my nodes were clear. This was my decision.

    Stage IV pretty much all western doctors will tell you yo have Chemo, and if I were Stage IV I would be having Chemo too.

    If they decide you do not need Chemo rejoice! But I would say to still change your life, what you eat, exercise etc......You will still be a cancer survivor.

    God Bless,


    Liz
    www.runlizrun.com
  • StacyGleaso
    StacyGleaso Member Posts: 1,233 Member
    #3
    Fasten your seatbelt....folks here LOVE to comment on this one! lol

    I did....I was stage 4. Stage has an influence on whether or not the doctor believes it is an option.

    Stacy (Go Bears!)
  • nudgie
    nudgie Member Posts: 1,478 Member
    #4
    Here was my situation: Was DX in July 06 with Stage II NO/MO Colon Cancer. Tumor was removed plus 14 nodes. All Nodes were clear. Path report was good, Stage II. According to my Surgeon he thought I would not need Chemo, but he was not an Onc Doc and recommended one, so I saw the Onc Doc and he stated that due to my age, 42, and the Mosaic Study on Stage II & III patients, it is recommended for precautionary and insurance measures that you have 12 treatments of FLOFOX over 6 months; every other week, just in case there are some micro cancer cells floating around that cannot been seen. It was a hard decision, but I fell back an old saying, Damn if you do and damn if you don't. So I decided to have the chemo and started on 18 August 06. Finished on 3 November 06. I had 6 out of the 12 due to side effects.

    Had my first colonoscopy on 12 Jan 07. All clear. Had my first CT Scan on 25 Jan 07, still waiting on results.

    A decision like this one needs to be made by the individual because cancer and chemo is totally different to each person because each person is totally different from the other (DNA). It will be a hard decision, but one that you need to feel good about making. Talk to family, friends, doctors, etc., but remember it is YOUR decision and NO ONE ELESE.

    GOOD LUCK
  • shmurciakova
    shmurciakova Member Posts: 906 Member
    #5
    Generally speaking if no lymph nodes are found to be positive in your pathology then chemo is not mandatory. There are risks and long term effects that should be taken into account when deciding whether or not to do chemo. Chemo has only recently been recommended for any Stage II patients and IMO I would not do it if no lymph nodes were involved.
    So, to answer the question, YES ther can be no chemo after surgery...
    -Susan
  • vinny3
    vinny3 Member Posts: 928 Member
    #6
    Hi BJ,

    As mentioned this is one point in which there is alot of discussion and in the end it will be your decision. There is nothing mandatory about any of these decisions. You have to get as much information as possible, and then make the decision. Getting an opinion from more than one oncologist is helpful as well. The best thing may be to have your surgery, see the results, and then decide.

    ****
  • 2bhealed
    2bhealed Member Posts: 2,064 Member
    #7
    Hi BJ,

    According to my oncologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN (a major cancer center) only Stage III and IV are recommended for chemo post surgery. If I had been Stage II it would not have been suggested.

    I was Stage III with lymph involvement and was advised to have the adjuvant chemo of 5 FU with Leucovorin.

    I declined for many reasons:

    I did not have a CEA so they would not have been able to tell if the chemo was working or not.

    My sister died of intestinal cancer and I watched what chemo did to her and it was not pretty. She was 33.

    Chemo does not line up with my healing philosophy. Assaulting the immune system with cytotoxic chemicals when it is compromised in the first place, in my opinion, doesn't make sense; it makes more sense to me to build up the immune system in order to heal the body. Cancer is a symptom of a greater problem. I prefer to go to the Root Cause of disease. Therefore I chose to do Eastern Medicine in conjuction with my Western Diagnostics. I thank God for both approaches and my freedom to choose the alternative.

    Not doing chemo does not equate not doing anything if you follow an alternative protocol. You will work your hinder off. But it's well worth it.

    I have been cancer free for 5 1/2 years and my oncologist is a believer in the alternative protocol that I chose. I am not an anomaly. This is not just anecdotal. There are many out there who have my same story. (A Cancer Battle Plan--by Anne Frahm)

    Having not done any chemo I will never fear secondary cancers due to chemo. I will not fear kidney or heart damage due to chemo. I do not fear leukemia due to chemo. I never had to be treated for diarhea from the chemo nor was I ever dehydrated from the chemo nor do I have a rash nor do I suffer from peripheral neuropathy.

    I am orange though. Very orange from the carrot juice that I drink daily. I can live with that. :-)

    And remember, you never HAVE to do anything. It is ALWAYS your choice. they work for you--not the other way around.

    hope this helps.

    peace, emily

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