Just Diagnosed

Hi Pam
I'm always saddened to see another newbie join this group, but I am glad you have found us for support. I'm sure you have lots of questions at this stage of the game and I hope you'll ask us. We'll try to answer any we can, based on our own experiences. We are not doctors, but sometimes we know more than they do! I would first suggest that you visit the website for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN.org) and register so that you can view and print out the most current treatment guidelines for anal cancer. They are very informative and will allow you to ask many questions of your docs with some idea in advance what the answer should be. Also, the website analcancerfoundation.org has a lot of good information. One more that you should check out is analcancerhelp.info. The information on that site was compiled by a friend of mine who is an AC survivor and was gathered from other survivors such as myself.

Chemo/radiation is the standard protocol for treatment of anal cancer, so your doctor is on the right page. To stage your tumor, you will most likely have a PET scan. You didn't mention whether or not your doctor has ordered one for you. If not, I would definitely ask for one. While the chemo/rad is rough, it is only for a short period of time, usually 5-6 weeks, and most folks get through it without serious complications. That's where we come in. We can help you get through it with a minimum of side effects, as we've been there, done that.

My approach regarding telling people about my cancer has been one of knowing who my "enemies" are. In other words, I have been somewhat selective as to who I've told--only people who I can trust to not be judgemental. It's up to each individual and you'll know the right thing to do for yourself. As you've already learned, some people can be quite insensitive.

I am over 4 years post-treatment now and am feeling quite good. I am very active, as I am a runner and weight train. I completed my first marathon last April! For the most part, I have no permanent side effects from the treatment, minus the occasional blip. So, I hope after reading everyone's comments here, you will be feeling much more positive about this journey you about to take. You have every reason to be hopeful that after treatment is done, you will be living your life without cancer. I wish you all the best and hope you'll keep us posted as things progress towards day 1 of treatment.

Patience
Patience is a virtue I did not come by naturally. But it is a very good virtue indeed at this stage of your diagnosis, and determining who will treat you and how.

I was given some very bad advice by two prominent physicians that I needed surgery - a colostomy procedure. I am very glad a friend called and friend and a Colo rectal surgeon called me and told me if he had what I had he would go to Memorial Sloan Kettering and he was head of the colo rectal surgery department in an excellent hospital in a large metropolitan area in Connecticut!

Because our cancer is very rare and very treatable, I think all the advice Martha and others have given you is excellent.

I hope you are in an early stage and perhaps what they are talking about is appropriate. I was stage 3 or T2N1. I am very grateful it was caught in time. My last treatment was August 15th 2011. Like you, my early scans revealed some other scary stuff that just helped me realize how lucky I was to just have anal cancer.

All the best to you! I benefited greatly by staying close by this board. Others will tell you that this point in time was the most difficult. It was very hard for me. Once you are on the right course of treatment for your particular cancer diagnosis (mine was squamous cell, for example) you'll feel like you are on your way to getting better and you will be.
Sincerely,
Sandy

geneviasue said:

Hi Pam
I hate that your diagnosis has brought you here but I'm glad you found this site. This site is amazing and the people here are like family. They will hold your hand (figuratively speaking) through each step if you need it and will guide you through each hurdle. I know personally that sometimes just knowing that someone else was facing the exact same cancer and treatment I was made it easier to bare. It gives me someone who truly understands everything. That's who we will be for you too.
Embarrassment? I'll tell you a funny story..I mean crawl under a table story. On the day of my diagnosis, I texted my pastor and shared the diagnosis. He asked if he could share it on our prayer line. I agreed without thinking about how he would word it. Yea, you guessed it. He used the word ANAL in a church email. I think my friends thought I would leave town after that but I guess that was the shock I needed to realize that honestly that was exactly how I needed to say it. I did ask him not to mention it from the pulpit that way though..in case of visitors. lol. I really think it's far more uncomfortable for others than it is for us. We have a cancer to kill and we really don't care what we call it as long as we call it GONE!!
I'll keep you in my prayers and feel free to reach out anytime..to anyone here. We are in this together.

God Bless
GiGi

Hi Pam
Welcome with my regrets that you need to be here though. This is an amazing forum and everyone will be here to help you through it. I mirror what the others have already posted. The "stigma", well I still find myself whishpering from time to time when someone asks me what type of cancer it was. It's the "look" I get that after I tell someone. Actually it's a blank stare and then my mind wonders what they are thinking. About a year after I finished treatment, I was asked to speak to our church congregation. I have to admit, I somewhat fibbed in church...sort of. I described it as "colo-rectal" in nature. I just couldn't stand in from of 300 people and say "anal cancer". I've become more open about it and less concerned with what other people think, but it takes time. What is much more important than all of that is the fight we put up against the beast. Only those that go through it can understand.

I hope you get your treatment plan outlined for you soon so that you can move forward and defeat this horrid beast of a disease.
Wishing you strength and healing,
Liz

pamela_preib said:

Thanks to everyone here.
Thanks to everyone here. This is my big week. I get my first meeting with my surgeon for a consult on Thursday the 6th. Have no idea what's in store. It's going to be a long week but I will be busy working and trying to get ahead of my holiday shopping just in case. I know you all have probably had the same feelings I have had lately at one point or another. So helpful to hear your stories. It's funny how I just get overwhelmed with emotion at times out of the blue. I don't feel such despair since reading this site. You are all very impressively strong women and such great mentors. I know if I have questions along the way I will find answers thru all of you. I will keep you posted when I get my next step on Thursday. Did any of you take anything for sleep. I have issues with anxiety so take Xanax occasionally for driving freeways, etc. My primary doc told me to try that for sleep. It seems to help but I'm not sure I want to be taking Xanax every night as it can be habit forming, but I guess all sleep aides are habit forming. I work at our public library and plan to try and keep a few shifts a week thru all this so sleep will be important. Thanks again for all of your support. It so helps to know I am not the only one going thru this battle.

Sleep
Sending support for this difficult week! Hang in there.

I was so anxious and did not sleep well for months...here is what worked for me.

I was usually so tired by the end of the day of fretting, worrying, or due to treatment, I often times fell asleep on my own (if I couldn't I would take benedryl or Motrin PM). I would place an ambien and water next to my bed and when I woke around midnight, I would immediately take the ambien, put in my earphones and listen to guided imagery for sleep or positive affirmations and I would fall asleep for at least 5 or 6 good hours.

I also too Xanax as needed for anxiety.

Guided imagery helped me soooo much. Bellruth naperstek has a "cancer pack" of CDs that I loaded on my itouch and listened to during chemo and during radiation treatments ... When I was actually on the chemo chair and when in the rad treatment. The imagery focuses your mind on the radiation beam and the chemo and helps you visualize the process .... The radiation one was almost exactly as long as my treatment. Guided imagery and affirmations not for everyone but it helped me.

Guided imagery available through healthjourneys.com

Be strong! Xoxo

just diagnosed
So sorry for your recent diagnosis but you have found a great place for info. and support. I was diagnosed in April 2012 and like all of us was very scared. I particularily was worried as I had just lost my husband to cancer and the thoughts of facing this battle alone was overwhelming but the people on this site were so helpful and comforting that I felt more able to fight. My treatment went OK and I finished it at the end of June. I was feeling good and was able to take my delayed trip to England in August with no problems.
The treatment is brutal but try to stay positive, get prepared and keep a sense of humour and you will get through it. Keep us informed.
Louise

pamela_preib said:

What A Month
Okay, so I had a mole show up on the side of my toe that came out of nowhere. I'm a melonoma patient mind you so I do not ignore these things. I called my dermatologist, explained my angst and she got me in within two days. My dermatologist heads up the Huntsman board and I can't even remember her title but she knows her stuff. Her name is Sancy Leachman. She ended up taking a biopsy and dang that hurt. Stuck the needle in my toe and just took a chunk. Anyways, she pulled up my reports and she wants me to go back to my plastic surgeon/melanoma doc from Huntsman to see if he can perform moh's with this. Have you ever heard of such a thing? I see my colorectal surgeon on Thursday so I will definately ask him is this is a possibility given my location. I'm thinking not, but it was nice to hear there are even more options. In the meantime, my toe is throbbing and I'm thinking "enough already".

Pam
What type of cancer did the biopsy show on your toe? My husband has had mohs surgery a few times for basal cell. I hope this is not more melanoma in your case. You have enough to deal with right now!

pamela_preib said:

I just got the biopsy on my toe done today so I won't have those results for about a week. I had MOH's surgery on my face for melanoma two years ago. The thing I'm confused about is that she thinks you can have MOH's surgery done to treat anal cancer when it's squomous cells caused by HPV which is what caused mine. I've just never seen anything on this board about a treatment like that.Just wondering if anybody had had any experience with that. From what I can tell from reports I have invasive squamous cell carcinoma but it also says in situ on what report. I have no idea where I'm at. It is in the dermis for whatever that means. I just don't know that MOH's down there is going to be an option and will be interested to find out.

Pam
I can't really answer all of your questions, but I will tell you that from everything I've ever read about carcinoma-in-situ of the anal canal, it it not treated with chemo/radiation. However, if your report says "invasive squamous cell carcinoma," this seems contradictory to me, leaving me somewhat confused. So, I think you have a lot more questions to ask your doctor(s). I know that some people diagnosed with anal cancer have had their tumors excised and clear margins have been achieved (which sounds like MOH's surgery was used to me, but I'm not sure). However, I think most of them go ahead with chemo/rad to make sure any rogue cells are killed off. Anal cancer can be a sneaky beast and every effort should be made to rid a person of all bad cells.

I would say you and your doctors need to nail down whether or not you do have full-blown cancer or carcinoma-in-situ first, as like I said above, the treatment may be different. Also, I would seek a second opinion before getting any surgery to remove the tumor, the issue being whether or not radiation would be advisable afterwards if it found to be necessary. I would definitely ask the doctor who treated you for the melanoma if she's ever treated anyone else for anal cancer with the MOH's procedure and what their outcome was. You don't want to be a guinea pig here. Do your research and see if there is anything on the internet about this from a reputable source, of course. It would seem a good idea to me to have your colorectal doctor or other doctor(s) consult with your doctor who is considering the MOH's procedure. They really all need to be on the same page and in agreement as to the best treatment for you. I wish you all the best and hope you'll keep us posted.