Brand NEW DX for hubby

ppm20wife

My husband was tested for colon cancer on Thursday, found out it was positive yesterday, and went in for a CAT scan of the pelvis and stomach areas to see if it has spread. Does anyone know how common colon cancer spreading is? We are so new at this - did NOT see it coming - just a routine test we thought. Anyone know of an easy to unerstand site that I can start reading about this? Thank you so much for any help you can give me.

Julie 44

We are here for you
Ask any questions you can think of to this board..The people here have been through it all one way or another and we can share what we have learned and have been through......Make sure you write down any questions you can think of to ask your doc the minuet you think of them..I know your head is spinning now so thats why you need to do that...I would also recommend that when you get a treatment plan to go for a second opinion..To a big named place for cancer..This way you know that what you are being told is what someonelse recommends for you too.Plus it gives you a great peace of mind....It really made me feel better about my treatment...Good Luck and keep us posted how your hubby is making out....Cancer does suck but he can get past this and so can you....Keep posting and you will see how many of us to get past this.......JULIE

Sundanceh

Hi there

Julie is right, this board is a great place for information.

If you want to get an "understanding" of what you are facing, you can also look at WEBMD.com and it provides you an overview of colon cancer, symptoms, diagnosis, treatments etc.etc. You can get started on a website like that.

It's so early, I don't want to bombard you with information, because I don't want you to be overwhelmed. There are many of us out here that are fighting and surving, many with Stage IV diagnosis.

Colon Cancer is several types: there is Colon Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, and Anal Cancer, and they are all different. If it has spread from the colon, the progressive route it takes is Colon - Liver - Lung - Brain and sometimes the Bone.

Treatment options include: Chemotherapy, Radiation, RFA (radio frequency ablation) and CyberKnife (radio surgery).

Let's see what the doc comes back with for his diagnosis on what the current state of your husband is.

Go ahead and look at WEBMD.com to get you started, because right now you just need to read about the information. Once questions are formed, we here can try and answer questions or concerns - you found the right place, many of us wish we had found it from the start, I sure wish I had.

Hang in there...patience is the key...the road to recovery begins now.

All my best to you and your husband
-Craig

ppm20wife

why?
Why would they do a cat scan that focuses on the stomach and pelvic area then? What does it usually mean when they want a second opinion before they tell us the results? I really think I am going to scream as I feel I am now starting to panic! Help?

VickiCO

ppm20wife said:

why?
Why would they do a cat scan that focuses on the stomach and pelvic area then? What does it usually mean when they want a second opinion before they tell us the results? I really think I am going to scream as I feel I am now starting to panic! Help?

CT scan
As Craig said, colon cancer can spread. They want to look at the whole abdomen to see if it is elsewhere. They will also look at the liver...usually the next spot after the colon for it to appear. these are all necessary tests so they have the whole picture. I had scans, ultrasounds and an internal ultrasound all before I met with the Oncologist and the Surgeon. They were well informed by then.

Did they tell you where his cancer is? Colon or rectum? It makes a difference in treatment plans. But remember, every case is different as we are INDIVIDUALS and respond differently. We've all been there.

Don't panic...BREATHE. And keep coming here to ask questions.

Many hugs, Vicki

Fight for my love

ppm20wife said:

why?
Why would they do a cat scan that focuses on the stomach and pelvic area then? What does it usually mean when they want a second opinion before they tell us the results? I really think I am going to scream as I feel I am now starting to panic! Help?

Hi PPM20wife,I know how you
Hi PPM20wife,I know how you feel,my hubby was diagnosed with cancer in this May.Back then,I got super shocked and totally lost.My hubby was found rectal cancer in a rountine colonscopy too.Anyway we were both lost and the feeling was very complex,it's not possible to use one or two words to describe how we feel.I was lucky to find this board,I found people here are very helpful and friendly,and I learned a lot here.I suggest you to go to this link at cancer.org website,you can register there and do the online class to learn about the cancer and cancer treatment,the link is:http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ESN/content/ESN_3_1X_I_Can_Cope.asp?sitearea=ESN.

Well the doctor may order more scan(like MRI) for your hubby because they need to give a diagnosis about which stage cancer your hubby is at.Staging cancer is very important,because this will give doctors more information,so they can decide how they are going to treat your husband.They do Cat scan that focuses on stomach and pelvic because these two area are very closed to colon,so the cancer cells may spread to these area,but if the scan comes out clean,then that means cancer hasn't spread which is good.

Seeking a second opinion is always a good option when you don't like what your doctor says or you don't agree with what your doctor's opinion is.Anyway just make sure where your hubby is going to get treated is a good cancer center or a good cancer institute and also make sure your hubby is going to have a good medical team to take care of him,usually a good medical team includes:radiation oncologist,chemo oncologist and a surgeon.Anyway just stay calm down and learn the knowledge,knowledge is power,the more you know about the disease,the better you cope with it.Colon cancer can be very well treated and very curable.Just keep your hope and take good care of your hubby,you will get through this.

tootsie1

I know how you feel. Your
I know how you feel. Your system takes a real shock when either you or a loved one gets that dreaded diagnosis. But try not to panic too much before you know the whole picture. A CT scan is routine at this time, so the doctors can be sure what they're dealing with.

I have found this site, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, to be very helpful for info. As others have said, posting questions on this discussion board can get you quick answers from people who have been there.

Please let us know how things go. We'll be here for you.

*hugs*
Gail

Kathleen808

Hi
Hi Ppm20wife,
Welcome to the board. I am sorry for the reason you are here and I know this is a scary time. We were in the same boat as you in January 2009. I think your initial questions have been answered about the scans. I want to encourage you to find an excellent cancer center for your husband. If your husband needs surgery you want to get to the best colon cancer surgeon you can, it makes a difference.
Please continue to ask questions.
I want to encourage you at this stage. My husband has done 8 of his 12 folfox treatments and he had 75% of his colon removed before starting treatment. He has some hard days but most of our days are really good. We are walking and he is hiking and surfing. I hope that is encouraging, you can do this!
Take care.
Aloha,
Kathleen

ppm20wife

Kathleen808 said:

Hi
Hi Ppm20wife,
Welcome to the board. I am sorry for the reason you are here and I know this is a scary time. We were in the same boat as you in January 2009. I think your initial questions have been answered about the scans. I want to encourage you to find an excellent cancer center for your husband. If your husband needs surgery you want to get to the best colon cancer surgeon you can, it makes a difference.
Please continue to ask questions.
I want to encourage you at this stage. My husband has done 8 of his 12 folfox treatments and he had 75% of his colon removed before starting treatment. He has some hard days but most of our days are really good. We are walking and he is hiking and surfing. I hope that is encouraging, you can do this!
Take care.
Aloha,
Kathleen

thank you
so much....I think I go back and forth with disbelief and fear at this time. Today is the day we find out if it has spread or not....I know so little. We are from Rochester, New York...which cancer center would be the best?

ADKer

ppm20wife said:

thank you
so much....I think I go back and forth with disbelief and fear at this time. Today is the day we find out if it has spread or not....I know so little. We are from Rochester, New York...which cancer center would be the best?

Comprehensive cancer center
Sloan Kettering is rated much more highly than Roswell Park, although I know Sloan is much farther from you. Whether it is necessary to travel to Sloan will depend on the stage of the cancer. Hopefully it will not be stage IV, but if it is, going to Sloan Kettering, at least for a second opinion will let you be sure that your husband is receiving the best care available.

Annabelle41415

ADKer said:

Comprehensive cancer center
Sloan Kettering is rated much more highly than Roswell Park, although I know Sloan is much farther from you. Whether it is necessary to travel to Sloan will depend on the stage of the cancer. Hopefully it will not be stage IV, but if it is, going to Sloan Kettering, at least for a second opinion will let you be sure that your husband is receiving the best care available.

Sorry
I'm sorry to hear of your husband's diagnosis. The PET/CT scan is done pretty routinely after an initial diagnosis or in addition to confirming diagnosis for colorectal cancer. A full scan chest to pelvic is normal as mentioned before it can spread from the colon to lymph nodes or through the lining and blood and then travel to other parts of the body. Even if someone has cancer in the lung it is not necessary a lung cancer (it is but) it is really a colon cancer. I guess they have a certain way of testing the cancer to see what type it is. If you are not liking the answers you are getting from your doctor or you just want a second opinion go for it. Most people do get a second opinion. You need all options open to you. Good luck and let us know how it is going.

Kim

lisa42

we're here for you
Hi,

I'm sorry you and your husband are having to go through all this. It's definitely a scary time, but the nice thing about coming to this discussion board is that we all truly understand how you feel because we've been there. I'm hoping and praying they will find your husband's cancer has not spread beyond its original location. If it has, however, be encouraged that there is so much more that can be done today for it, than even a few years ago. DO NOT believe any internet "survival statistics". Statistics, by their very nature, are always outdated because they are based on patients who were diagnosed and treated 5 or more years ago. They definitely have had some newer treatments come out during the past 5 years that are working some wonders. Many stage IV patients are living with their disease for many years by keeping it controlled and others are getting that wonderful "NED" status, which means No Evidence of Disease anymore!! There are many people in that situation who come to this discussion board. I'm jumping ahead of myself, since you don't know your husband's staging yet, but just wanted you to know that, in case. If any doctor gives you the doom and gloom attitude, then find another oncologist! They're not all like that and having an oncologist that has a postive "we're going to fight this and win" attitude is a must!

God bless,
Lisa

luv3jay

Hello! I'm really sorry
Hello! I'm really sorry that you had to join this group, but I must say this is a wonderful group to be a part of IF you find yourself or loved on in this unfortunate circumstance. I was DX'd last September and my world was forever changed! After the colonoscopy which detected the tumor and pathology confirmed it was malignant, then I was scheduled for a "routine" CT scan. They are just making sure that the cells have not spread to other areas such as the liver and lungs...which seems to be the first two places they go. Unfortunately, mind did and I was stage IV. So the first course of treatment which was going to be surgery, was changed and they now wanted me to have neo adjuvant chemo BEFORE surgery to stop the cancer in it's tracks. My docs said that it was no need of opening me up first because they could have gotten in there and found that it had gone all over the place. So they decided to try to shrink the tumors already there and kill the cells that were in the bloodstream before surgery. I had 4 cycles of chemo prior to surgery. I actually had Rectal cancer and not colon, which means my primary tumor was in my rectum and not colon. So the first surgery was to remove aboug 60% of my liver, then I had surgery to remove 50% of my rectum and the lower end of my colon. I'm currently being treated with more chemo now...then on to radiation...then on to a clinical trial. So, it is a lot and you will find yourself overwhelmed at times. But the stats on the internet are depressing and outdated! Don't read them! I will say this....stopping by this forum almost daily always makes me feel much better!