Stage 2 T3B questions.

indianamatt
indianamatt Member Posts: 3 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

Diagnosed with stage 2 T3B last week and has not entered my lymphs. Will start the chemo pill with radiation in a week for 33 sessions then full chemo only every 2 weeks for 8 weeks.

The Cancer Center said the outlook is very good for shrinking and killing the 5cm tumor near my rectum. Received a call from a surgeon the other day whom I have never met and only gave me a 50% chance of remission and I may need a lifelong colostomy. I am at loss for words and now moderately depressed.

Why would the Cancer Center give me a great prognosis only to hear a negative one from a doctor? I could tell he knew nothing about my situation or the planned treatment prior to the phone call as he was asking me questions about the recommended treatment.

Any comments would be much appreciated. Thanks…

Comments

  • amarinack
    amarinack Member Posts: 1 *
    #2

    Have you had any more support or information from your doctor? My family is facing a similar recent diagnosis and very difficult to receive info to feel confident in from the doctors. Seems like they see so many patients every day that it is easy to auto-pilot stats and treatment plans without taking time to explain the risks or possible positive outcomes.

    I hope the info received here is helpful and give you some hope, being realistic is one thing and understanding the good that you can have in life is another very important thing to consider.

    In searching for similar info after a t3b diagnosis, pretty unsuccessful here so far….will share if I come up with anything helpful. Please do keep us posted as well.

  • indianamatt
    indianamatt Member Posts: 3 Member
    #3

    I have had an enormous amount of care here at IU in Muncie, IN. The very first thing my Doctor at IU told me was we are going to protect your anus and cure you of this decease. The protocol in the past has always been surgery because that's what surgeons do, cut and remove not cure.

    I have read may a survivors story that stated they went into surgery for removal of the tumor but 'may' wake up with a perm colostomy if the margins are not clear.

    I also found the info on T3B scarce which I feel is due to the success of Chemo/Rad then full chemo.

    I have included a couple of links you should watch since they did make me feel more at ease through this struggling times.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaurBJUcTSg

    https://www.mskcc.org/news/how-watch-and-wait-approach-may-help-people-rectal-cancer-preserve-their-quality-life

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