Small Bowel Cancer

nikki90

Hi there,

I just wanted to introduce myself and maybe get some infor and advice and information from all of you. I haven't officially been diagnosed with cancer yet, so I don't know a specific type or staging. But from all the tests so far, it looks like things are going that way. The cancer is actually small bowel, but I know that's rare. So I figured that colorectal cancer is similar enough to maybe get some help here.

Here's a brief summary of what is going on. I am a 27 year old, otherwise healthy female. But for the last few months, I have been feeling nauseous and contstantly run down. I went to a few doctors with no help, but finally I had one order a CT. They found a large mass in between my duodenum and jejunum, so they recommended an endoscopy. I had that, and they found a 6cm large polyp. They couldn't take it out there because it was too big, but they biopsied it and the results came back negative. They told me they still weren't sure, however, and that they would need to wait until the whole thing was removed to say for sure that it is or isn't cancer. I went to see a surgical oncologist to get ready for a bowel resection, but she has ordered a colonoscopy and lung CT scan first to rule out metastesis. The CT showed a single large lymph node in the mesentery near my cecum, and she said that is concerning. She will need to remove this lymph node first and look to see if it shows cancer. If not, then she will perform the resection and determine if there is cancer in the polyp or in the lymph nodes surrounding the poly. If so, then she will assume the cancer has metastocized and begin pallative care and chemotherapy.

I'm scared and confused right now, so any advice or information you can give would be much appreciated. I've heard that the waiting is one of the worst parts.

Best,

Nicole

lp1964

Dear Nicole,

As you said that is certainly unusual. Mentally you are at the toughest part of your journey. Once you start your treatment and especially once those things are out of your body you will feel much better and you physical healing will begin.

You are the same person as you were before with all you skills, knowledge and emotions. You just happen to have this tumor. 

I and many people here recommend to take 800mg/day of Cimetidine(Tagamet) 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after the surgery. This is a n over the counter heartburn medicine seem to reduce the risk of spreading should there be any carcerous cells during the surgery. 

Keep us informed and wish you all the best!

Laz

Annabelle41415

Sorry

So sorry that you are going through this.  It does sound like there is need for further testing but it's good that the first biopsy came out negative.  It's best to have the further testing just to make sure.  Not all tumors are cancer - it's just they are there and are a "nothing."  Most times it's best they are removed though so they don't turn into something else.  Wishing you the best and let us know how you are doing.

Kim