Talk: Late effects of pelvic cancers by Daphna Gelblum, MD of MSKCC

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Ouch_Ouch_Ouch
Ouch_Ouch_Ouch Member Posts: 508 Member
edited September 2014 in Anal Cancer #1

I went to a seminar called "Life After Cancer" as my first big solo trip. I drove 45 minutes to Newburgh, NY and was able to stay the whole day, then drive home again, jiggitty-jig. I was exhausted for days, but did it.

This talk was given by Dr. Daphna Gelblum, radiation oncologist at Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. She had a lot to share in only one hour, so she spoke quickly and the slides flew past. It's normal not to have any of these late effects or to have more than one. The degree of the effect can vary, too. I wrote as quickly as I could, some of which I can still read!

Late Effects of Treatment: (scribbled notes follow)

For pelvic cancers:

- organ linings effected

- sexual dysfunctions

--- hypogonadism in males

--- early menopause

--- lost libido

--- vaginal dryness

--- vaginal stenosis

--- dyspareuria (painful intercourse)

--- infertility

- decreased bone density

- intestinal dysfunction

--- cramping

--- diarrhea

--- malabsorbtion

--- rectal bleeding

--- small bowel obstruction in 5-10%

--- intestinal perforation

- 50% report decreased quality of life

Suggestions: supplement with vitamin D & calcium, get a bone density scan, excercise!, get referrals to endocrinologist and gynecologist

 

Comments

  • mxperry220
    mxperry220 Member Posts: 493 Member
    #2
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    Thank You

    Thank you for the info.

    Mike

  • sephie
    sephie Member Posts: 650 Member
    #3
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    great info

    so fab that you could drive to and from this talk..... so glad someone understands that there are so many effects of radiation on us...... thx for info...i have many of them......sephie

  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #4
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    Ouch

    Thanks so much for posting this!  I have definitely experienced my fair share of these side effects.  I guess the only one I am exempt from is the hypogonadism!

  • Ouch_Ouch_Ouch
    Ouch_Ouch_Ouch Member Posts: 508 Member
    #5
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    mp327 said:

    Ouch

    Thanks so much for posting this!  I have definitely experienced my fair share of these side effects.  I guess the only one I am exempt from is the hypogonadism!

    Ah!

    So no infertility problems for you, eh?

    .^_^.

  • sandysp
    sandysp Member Posts: 868 Member
    #6
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    And I second that!

    We could have written that list for sure.

    I meant to go to that. Thanks for sharing. It is validating although I don't know why I need all this validation. If it is, it is but it always makes me feel better to hear this is the new normal and that's okay.

    Thanks again.

    Sincerely,

    Sandy

  • Ouch_Ouch_Ouch
    Ouch_Ouch_Ouch Member Posts: 508 Member
    #7
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    sandysp said:

    And I second that!

    We could have written that list for sure.

    I meant to go to that. Thanks for sharing. It is validating although I don't know why I need all this validation. If it is, it is but it always makes me feel better to hear this is the new normal and that's okay.

    Thanks again.

    Sincerely,

    Sandy

    Hey, there...

    Hi, sandysp. I was wondering if you know/know of this doctor.

    I wonder if I would have recognized you from your avatar if you'd attended.

    I posted the list for newcomers so they can know what's happening to their bodies in order to know to talk to their MDs. I also posted for an oldcomer, mp327. I read in a thread the other night that she hadn't heard of anyone else that had small bowel obstruction from cancer treament (it may have been an older post, i don't remember). I wanted her to know that she's not alone, sadly enough.

  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #8
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    Ouch_Ouch_Ouch said:

    Ah!

    So no infertility problems for you, eh?

    .^_^.

    LOL!

    Not that I know of--and not that I care!  Foot in Mouth

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

    Hey, there...

    Hi, sandysp. I was wondering if you know/know of this doctor.

    I wonder if I would have recognized you from your avatar if you'd attended.

    I posted the list for newcomers so they can know what's happening to their bodies in order to know to talk to their MDs. I also posted for an oldcomer, mp327. I read in a thread the other night that she hadn't heard of anyone else that had small bowel obstruction from cancer treament (it may have been an older post, i don't remember). I wanted her to know that she's not alone, sadly enough.

    Ouch

    That must have been a very old post I did, because I had a small bowel obstruction in January 2013.  If memory serves me correctly, however, until I had my own experience with an obstruction, I had not known of anyone on the websites who had experienced one.  Perhaps I am the trailblazer.  Frown

  • mxperry220
    mxperry220 Member Posts: 493 Member
    #10
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    mp327 said:

    Ouch

    Thanks so much for posting this!  I have definitely experienced my fair share of these side effects.  I guess the only one I am exempt from is the hypogonadism!

    Hypggonadism

    Martha,

    After I read the author's post I read up on hypogonadism  from the Mayo Clinic.  I found the article interesting and informative and thought I would post the link for anyone interested.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/male-hypogonadism/basics/symptoms/con-20014235

    Mike

  • Barb5454
    Barb5454 Member Posts: 125
    #11
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    Ouch_Ouch_Ouch

    Thank you for posting this. I'm 20 month post treatment. I just posted that I have rectal enteritis. Like I said in my posting what brought me to the dr who diagnosed me with anal cancer, is now normal. It is so weird and I have a hard time wrapping my head around it.

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