The results are in...

Anabel_Lee
Anabel_Lee Member Posts: 32
in Anal Cancer #1

Finally after 4 weeks of waiting for results (yes 4 weeks) I just received a phone call from the surgeon saying the "tags, the flat lesion and the pigmented area were all cancer BUT he says it hasn't become invasive yet. He's having me get a prescription of something (can't remember the name) but it's like a chemo cream. I haven't read up on it and I"m not sure I want to but it sounds like it literally burns it off.

It's weird. I"m really happy that it's not invasive but I still can't stop crying. I've been so scared the last few months and the idea of burning that area isn't something that makes me happy. He told me to make an appt in 3 months to see him and if I notice any lumps, to get them checked and removed.

I feel like I should be celebrating right now. Woohoo! not invasive but that's just not how I"m feeling. Maybe because I know it's there and there's a chance it will come back?

Comments

  • magillilnb
    magillilnb Member Posts: 39 Member
    #2
    Anabel_Lee

    I understand why you're crying.  Cancer is scary stuff.  It sounds like you have skin cancer, right? But not metastisizing is wonderful news, so try to concentrate on your good news and not so much on the bad. I've just been through 9 months of chemo, radiation, and surgeries, and I'm free and clear of cancer now, but my life will never be the same. Still, I have a life, so that's what counts.

    Be kind to yourself and celebrate the good news and don't spend time worrying about what's to come. I know it's not easy, but give it a try. Keep a good attitude and things will go better, too.

     

    Best wishes in your fight!

    Nancy

      

  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #3
    Cream

    There is a cream called Imiquimod used to treat anal lesions.  It also is marketed under the name Aldara.  Also, there is a cream form of 5-FU (5 Fluorouracil), which is one of the chemo drugs most often used to treat anal cancer.  I am happy for you, however, I hope your doctor will be keeping a close watch on these areas.  I do not know enough about these creams to know how effective they are at eradicating cancer cells.  If you are not confident in your doctor's recommendation, you could always get a second opinion.  I would want to know if he/she has treated non-invasive anal cancer previously and, if so, was this protocol successful. 

  • Anabel_Lee
    Anabel_Lee Member Posts: 32
    #4
    magillilnb said:

    Anabel_Lee

    I understand why you're crying.  Cancer is scary stuff.  It sounds like you have skin cancer, right? But not metastisizing is wonderful news, so try to concentrate on your good news and not so much on the bad. I've just been through 9 months of chemo, radiation, and surgeries, and I'm free and clear of cancer now, but my life will never be the same. Still, I have a life, so that's what counts.

    Be kind to yourself and celebrate the good news and don't spend time worrying about what's to come. I know it's not easy, but give it a try. Keep a good attitude and things will go better, too.

     

    Best wishes in your fight!

    Nancy

      

    Magillilnb

    Hmm, I wonder if anal margin in situ is a skin cancer? I guess it's treated like one. You have been through so much and still seem to have such a good attitude. It's wonderful people like you on this board that have helped me so much.

    I feel a bit selfish to complain about what's going on because so many on here have been through so much more. Maybe it's because between the time suspicion was there, to when I had surgery, to when I got the results, has been going on since November of last year. That's how long it took to get from point A to point B. I think my nerves have been so bad, that now I just have a flood of emotions and can't seem to process them.

  • Anabel_Lee
    Anabel_Lee Member Posts: 32
    #5
    mp327 said:

    Cream

    There is a cream called Imiquimod used to treat anal lesions.  It also is marketed under the name Aldara.  Also, there is a cream form of 5-FU (5 Fluorouracil), which is one of the chemo drugs most often used to treat anal cancer.  I am happy for you, however, I hope your doctor will be keeping a close watch on these areas.  I do not know enough about these creams to know how effective they are at eradicating cancer cells.  If you are not confident in your doctor's recommendation, you could always get a second opinion.  I would want to know if he/she has treated non-invasive anal cancer previously and, if so, was this protocol successful. 

    2nd opinion

    That's a good idea. I was planning on seeing my family doctor next week (I just really want to take the week off to not think about it) and ask her about other doctor's that I could see. I do have confidence in my surgeon but other opinions never hurt. If both agree on the treatment then that's all good.

    You are just so knowledgable about all of this stuff Martha. I love it :)

     

  • magillilnb
    magillilnb Member Posts: 39 Member
    #6
    Anabel_Lee said:

    Magillilnb

    Hmm, I wonder if anal margin in situ is a skin cancer? I guess it's treated like one. You have been through so much and still seem to have such a good attitude. It's wonderful people like you on this board that have helped me so much.

    I feel a bit selfish to complain about what's going on because so many on here have been through so much more. Maybe it's because between the time suspicion was there, to when I had surgery, to when I got the results, has been going on since November of last year. That's how long it took to get from point A to point B. I think my nerves have been so bad, that now I just have a flood of emotions and can't seem to process them.

    Anabel_Lee

    I had squamous cell carcinoma of the anus, which is skin cancer of the anus, but it was in my rectum and pushed through my vagina wall, so I had a fistula.

    From my understanding, in situ is pre cancerous. Mine was first diagnosed as in situ, but then two surgeons went in and got big biopsies and found the actual cancer. 

    Do you know why it took so long to get your results to you? That seems like such a long time. Your doctors may be trying to use the least invasive treatment so as not to damage your sphincter muscle. Does anyone go with you to your appointments to take notes for you? Do you read up on what they tell you and have questions to ask at the next appointment? Do you have great confidence in your doctor? I went to several doctors until I found one I felt really good about and that really helps.

    Nancy

     

  • Anabel_Lee
    Anabel_Lee Member Posts: 32
    #7
    Anabel_Lee said:

    2nd opinion

    That's a good idea. I was planning on seeing my family doctor next week (I just really want to take the week off to not think about it) and ask her about other doctor's that I could see. I do have confidence in my surgeon but other opinions never hurt. If both agree on the treatment then that's all good.

    You are just so knowledgable about all of this stuff Martha. I love it :)

     

    SITU

    I'm not sure if I got the wording right. I'm just assuming that when it hasn't become invasive, it's situ. I'm not thinking clearly right now ;)

    I originally had an appt for 2 weeks after surgery to get the results but they weren't in yet. Then my surgeon went on holiday for 2 weeks and that's how my results got bumped in to the 4 week mark. I don't know why someone else couldn't just tell me them. 

    Since he called me, I was just at home by myself. I couldn't really think of any questions to ask at the time but now I can think of a few. I'm sure I could make an appt to go in to see him to ask. I do have confidence in him but I guess I don't really know him. All I really know is his reputation, which I saw from people online that were reviewing him. I think he's the only doctor in town that is a colorectal specialist and deals with this type of thing.

    I'm not even sure who I could go to for a 2nd opinion.

  • Phoebesnow
    Phoebesnow Member Posts: 600 Member
    #8
    Annabel lee

    I am the blunt one.  You can't afford to take a week off.  You can't just go with what your family doctor says.  You need to start doing research.  Start here put in "in situ" you should come up with a wealth of information.  You need to get the biopsy report, find out what cancer it is and any other details.  Start looking on the Internet to see if there has been sucess with that cream and this cancer.  Sorry to say I think not.  Have you had a colonoscopy, ct scan, per scan.  Do you have symptoms?  You need to find someone who knows how to deal with this and has had success with thre methods.

     

    Excuse my typos.

     

    I hope I haven't upset you.  I mean well.

     

    Best of luck

  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #9
    Phoebesnow said:

    Annabel lee

    I am the blunt one.  You can't afford to take a week off.  You can't just go with what your family doctor says.  You need to start doing research.  Start here put in "in situ" you should come up with a wealth of information.  You need to get the biopsy report, find out what cancer it is and any other details.  Start looking on the Internet to see if there has been sucess with that cream and this cancer.  Sorry to say I think not.  Have you had a colonoscopy, ct scan, per scan.  Do you have symptoms?  You need to find someone who knows how to deal with this and has had success with thre methods.

     

    Excuse my typos.

     

    I hope I haven't upset you.  I mean well.

     

    Best of luck

    Annabel Lee

    Check out the following websites:

    http://www.cancer.org/cancer/analcancer/detailedguide/anal-cancer-new-research

    http://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/hpv-genital-warts/imiquimod

    http://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/2010/genital-warts.htm

    http://id.medicine.ucsf.edu/analcancerinfo/treatment/

  • Anabel_Lee
    Anabel_Lee Member Posts: 32
    #10
    mp327 said:

    Annabel Lee

    Check out the following websites:

    http://www.cancer.org/cancer/analcancer/detailedguide/anal-cancer-new-research

    http://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/hpv-genital-warts/imiquimod

    http://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/2010/genital-warts.htm

    http://id.medicine.ucsf.edu/analcancerinfo/treatment/

    Got my pathology report

    There were 4 areas taken and this is what I have...

    High Grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, perianal, intraepithelial neoplasia

    Grade 3/squamous cell carcinoma in situ,warty type, extending to cauterized peripheral margin

    They were located at 11 o'clock....6 o'clock..12:30 o'clock and 7 o'clock

    Hopefully I didn't make too many spelling mistakes with typing this. I tried to copy/paste but it just came up as code when I'd try to put it on here

  • sandysp
    sandysp Member Posts: 868 Member
    #11
    Anabel_Lee said:

    Got my pathology report

    There were 4 areas taken and this is what I have...

    High Grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, perianal, intraepithelial neoplasia

    Grade 3/squamous cell carcinoma in situ,warty type, extending to cauterized peripheral margin

    They were located at 11 o'clock....6 o'clock..12:30 o'clock and 7 o'clock

    Hopefully I didn't make too many spelling mistakes with typing this. I tried to copy/paste but it just came up as code when I'd try to put it on here

    These are your friends here . . .

    I agree you need to get to a center that treats anal cancer on a regular basis. It's complicated.

    The radiation does the same thing as this cream is supposed to do. It literrally burns your anus off. Remarkably, the anus can regenerate itself. It is painful but it is marvelous indeed.

    Has this doctor ever used this cream before?

    I would like to see you get to a real cancer hospital in a major metropolitan area. Cleveland, Texas or New York preferably. 

    I hear wonderful things about MD Anderson and Cleveland Clinic. NY is really expensive even if you just eat hot dogs but here I was told by experts in the medical field, Memorial Sloan Kettering is the place to be. I love them. They are so professional from top to bottom.

    Let us know what you decide. Whatever, we support you and want to be here for you whatever treatment you choose.

    Sincerely,

    Sandy

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