HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION

captainhop
captainhop Member Posts: 156
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I know....I'm getting way ahead of the situation here, but this has been bothering me....If, IF they find the colon cancer has matastisized to other organs, do they normally do the surgery on those other organs while they're already inside? Or in most cases do they do this as a seperate surgery? I'm sure a lot depends on the health, etc. of the patient......just been on my mind and can't "kick it"

Dumb question probably, but its bothering me.

Marygale

Comments

  • CherylHutch
    CherylHutch Member Posts: 1,375 Member
    #2
    Not a dumb question
    Marygale... no question is a dumb question. If it's something you need an answer for, then it is a very worthwhile question :)

    Unfortunately, I think the answer is... it depends. Depends on what they have found and where they find it. Normally, when they are doing a resection, then the surgery is for that particular area (IE: resection of the colon or intestine, or resection of the liver, etc).

    My surgeon who found my colon cancer tumour through a sigmoidoscopy, told me that he would be going in to do the intestine resection, removing the tumour and 18 inches or so of intestine, but if when he opened me up he found that the cancer had spread, then he would close me up and I'd be looking at different options. At the time, I'm not sure if he meant other surgeries or other treatment options such as chemo, radiation, etc. I have to admit, at the time I was pretty much in shock that I even had cancer and I was not absorbing much information.

    So, try not to worry too much. If the surgeon goes in and does the planned surgery, then anything after will be something you deal with it one at a time.

    Hugggggs,

    Cheryl
  • captainhop
    captainhop Member Posts: 156
    #3
    CherylHutch said:

    Not a dumb question
    Marygale... no question is a dumb question. If it's something you need an answer for, then it is a very worthwhile question :)

    Unfortunately, I think the answer is... it depends. Depends on what they have found and where they find it. Normally, when they are doing a resection, then the surgery is for that particular area (IE: resection of the colon or intestine, or resection of the liver, etc).

    My surgeon who found my colon cancer tumour through a sigmoidoscopy, told me that he would be going in to do the intestine resection, removing the tumour and 18 inches or so of intestine, but if when he opened me up he found that the cancer had spread, then he would close me up and I'd be looking at different options. At the time, I'm not sure if he meant other surgeries or other treatment options such as chemo, radiation, etc. I have to admit, at the time I was pretty much in shock that I even had cancer and I was not absorbing much information.

    So, try not to worry too much. If the surgeon goes in and does the planned surgery, then anything after will be something you deal with it one at a time.

    Hugggggs,

    Cheryl

    Cheryl....
    thanks for responding. I just wondered, as it seems it would be awfully hard on the patient to do more than one at a time. Ya know a week between appointments just seems like forever...We sort of get used to digesting what we've been told, then have to adjust to something new.....but I guess that's just part of it.

    I'm learning soooooooo much from all of you. God bless you all.

    I'm getting ready to post yet another question re the PET scan..

    Marygale

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